KANSAS CITY STREETCAR EXPANSION SUPPORTERS 'CONFIDENT' OF TAXPAYER CASH GRAB DESPITE DEVISTATING CORONAVIRUS ECONOMIC IMPACT!!!
Earlier this week our KICK-ASS TKC BLOG COMMUNITY was FIRST to report a callous coronavirus cash grab from proponents of the Kansas City streetcar.
A bit more explanation from a promotional hack . . .
"The Council is being asked to authorize a $4.7 million contract with a team led by HDR to advance the design work for the project from its current 30 percent level to 60 percent. The more refined design is required by the FTA as part of the application process . . . The Council also is being asked to approve a $2.7 million pre-construction service contract."
Today Streetcar dude Tom Gerend will be pitching this touristy frou-frou to Mayor and Council at around 2 in the PM during the business session.
Clarification . . .
Of course streetcar supporters CLAIM city hall is merely acting as a "conduit" and taxpayer cash comes from "Streetcar Authority through a combination of revenues from the existing Downtown Transportation Development District and the Streetcar Authority reserve." Anyone who reads City Hall ordinances knows that contention is SKETCHY AT BEST given how much KCMO taxpayer cash is rerouted, transferred and questionably dedicated to these barely legal shell organizations.
What's troubling is that local MSM is letting this deal proceed in silence.
Nevertheless . . .
TOY TRAIN SUPPORTERS REVEAL CONFIDENCE IN CITY HALL FUNDING DESPITE THE CURRENT CRASH OF AMERICAN TOURISM & MORE IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITIES!!!
This global disaster demonstrates this town needs money for more cops, more small biz relief and maintaining infrastructure as federal funds will be desperately needed elsewhere.
Even worse . . .
STREETCAR SUPPORTERS ADMIT RIDERSHIP HAS DROPPED BY MORE THAN HALF DURING CORONAVIRUS!!!
Hours have been cut back, half of the fleet has been docked and a massive cleaning effort is, thankfully, underway in order to reassure the public.
Translation . . .
The COVID-19 pandemic teaches us that the streetcar is a luxury and not a necessity.
Some might claim that this pandemic is a once in a lifetime event. We hope that's true but the public lockdown might also be a glimpse into the future as pandemics seem to be occurring more frequently given the 2009 H1N1 tragedy and the 2018 pandemic flu that hit exceptionally hard. No one can predict the future but we've seen that severe weather and various public safety emergencies have rendered the streetcar virtually useless given the performance of the starter route.
And so . . .
IF TKC READERS DON'T WANT MORE THAN 7-MILLION WORTH OF TAXPAYER CASH USED ON THE TOY TRAIN STREETCAR DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC . . . MAYBE LET MAYOR & COUNCIL KNOW ABOUT BEFORE THIS AFTERNOON!!!
Here's contact info.
You decide . . .
More taxpayer funding for a mode of transit that doesn't work. And the band played on.
ReplyDeleteGood post TKC but I'll tell you what you missed:
DeleteThe council shouldn't consider this with 4 of the members in quarantine. This needs the attention of the full council in person. Doing this by teleconferencing takes away personal responsibility. This vote should be delayed until after the pandemic quarantines are lifted. If Gerend says the money will still be there, it should be there AFTER this is over.
Wierd that rail transit is so essential to so many cities but in Kansas City we just magically know it can't possibly work.
DeleteThe streetcar proponents are galling. They want 7 million dollars when most of KC is unemployed right now? Pitiful.
ReplyDelete^^^ +1
DeleteUm don't you think affordable transit is more important than ever? Denialists always forget to compare the cost of transit to the obscene cost of road construction, maintenance and polution.
Delete5000 dead and the streetcar wants more debt financing. That's basically what it is, if it was so successful they could find other ways to finance this. It's begging for money for tourism while people are dying. A horrible look for the streetcar.
ReplyDeleteHaha worrying about debt soooo 2019! Haven't you even heard it suddenly became ok to create $$trillions more money when filthy rich corporations want welfare? You are saying Boeing should get free money but not KCMO for rail transit that the whole world knows is essential. Now that's a really bad look.
DeleteBut what about the momentum?
ReplyDeleteif the council had any decency they would deny or at least delay this. There are bigger problems to consider.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't the streetcar supporters front their own money to see if they can get anywhere with it. Too expensive a gamble in my business opinion when it looks like FTA will still say no anyway.
ReplyDeleteWell why don't you help pressure the craven Feds instead of assuming the status quo is so fucking permanent and wonderful?
DeleteHow was chuck's funeral, Stupor Duck?
DeleteTo stop this funding now would be the admission that Sly James, Jermaine Reed and others were wrong about something. The council is a complete joke. These folks should never have the ability to make budget decisions for the community. What % of the City actually benefits from the Street Car, 18th and Vine, Jazz Museum, Linwood Grocery???
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, the only people benefiting from the Street Car are the people who are employed to maintain this huge wasteful endeavor.
ReplyDeleteSure, that's why millions of people take rail transit worldwide every day.
DeleteThe trolley is nowhere near public transportation. It's a very expensive and fragile amusement park ride.
DeleteMaybe our Council can get on a teleconference with the City management team from Detroit or Baltimore to discuss strategy.
ReplyDeleteFunding Downtown KC as a tourist destination is OVER. It's time that we stopped wasting money on this.
ReplyDelete936...love it, great advice. KCMO is bankrupt.
ReplyDelete937 might actually be right. The world may have changed forever.
ReplyDeleteThis council best stop or delay this madness
ReplyDeleteI'll let them know I want it because at some point life will get back to normal.
ReplyDeleteSo thanks for letting me know!!! What a great public service!
YES KEEP THE $TREETCAR CA$H A-COMIN'!!! I NEED A NEW SOLID GOLD CORVETTE AND MY WIFE NEEDS A NEW ASS!!! HERE COMES ANOTHER TRUCK OF $TREETCAR CA$H BACKING UP TO MY HOUSE!!! LEAVE THE BAGS IN THE GARAGE, WHICH IS THE SIZE OF THE SPRINT CENTER, OVER THERE, BOYS!!!
ReplyDelete^^^^ normal? Good luck with that. Not anytime soon considering this kind of economic damage.
ReplyDeleteHey 11:52, most cities have a fare which subsidized the operational cost of the rail. This Street Car was supported by a bunch of folks who do not understand basic business or accounting.
ReplyDelete12:07 on systems they started building back in the 1800's. They didn't wait till now to do so.
ReplyDeleteWe are going to hundreds of millions of dollars short in the budget this year but we can still find ways to waste money on stupid shit, take sLIE and dimwit dementia the cleave as prime examples of waste.
ReplyDeleteHey City Council and Street Car supporters. Doctors are now saying the 6 foot rule is possibly not sufficient in keeping a person safe from being infected. Scientists are not saying that the simple breathing of air from an infected person could possibly lead to infection. What is the Street Car's answer? Sly? Are you going to hand out masks for all passengers?
ReplyDeleteMoney for streetcars which the voters said NO and still dont have enough money the the city's retirement fund and will be short for funds due to smaller earnings tax with people out of work . City Hall NEEDS someone who can count
ReplyDeleteCan't believe Mayor allows street car to run. Homeless higene not good and handles & grabs all over the inside. Shame on the Mayor
ReplyDeleteSpanish deaths yesterday of 961 would be equivalent to almost 7,000 for USA.
ReplyDeleteWe'll get there, 6:01! Don't you worry! Niggas all be a-dyin' soon! Dey dirty! And don't trust doctors. Or hospitals. Or have any common sense.
ReplyDelete6:25 is a paid troll so....
ReplyDeleteYou can call until you are blue in the face,they dont listen
ReplyDeleteThis is why New York has a HUGE problem with the Virus. Public Transportation To many sick people breathing on each other .
ReplyDeleteYou say “stop with the hate” and call someone “fag lips?” Bizarre.
ReplyDelete^^^ True dat.
ReplyDeleteFineberg said it's possible that aerosolized coronavirus droplets can hang in the air and potentially infect someone who walks by later
ReplyDelete