Kansas City Star Misinforms Readers On Shady Westside Property Tax Scheme

Quick question . . .

WOULD YOU HAND OVER THE TITLE OF YOUR HOME FOR A TAX BREAK WORTH A FEW HUNDRED BUCKS???

Didn't think so. 

And so . . .

Today The Star publishes a completely misinformed and myopic editorial that addresses "gentrification" on a philosophical level from the comfort of a sofa somewhere in Johnson County. 

There are two ways to look at this one . . .

The Kansas City Star has become so lazy and detached that they don't bother to research how the schemes they publicize REALLY work.  

Or . . .

This plan is just another trap confronting po'folk . . . 

Even the most cynical person wouldn't ask somebody to hand over their home title to a newly formed group of political activists and private/public operatives. 

Maybe . . . Just maybe . . .

If locals REALLY wanted property tax relief they might look to elected officials in Jackson County who have presided over this negligent disaster. 

One last thing . . . 

Go ahead and call it a conspiracy but this misconception and misinformation regarding Jackson County property taxes is so blatant that it feels like an ambush.

The current political epoch has taught us that ANYTHING is possible and maybe, just maybe . . . The newspaper doesn't have as much sympathy for people being "displaced" as they contend.

Sadly . . . 

Moving poor people out of the way of "progress" is the story of human history and the progressive newspaper might be helping this effort given that desperate people often fall prey to useful idiots

As always, in fairness, let's check the "White Guilt Daily" for their handout pitch . . .

The program, to be administered by the Westside Redevelopment Corporation, is just such an innovation. The complicated program allows homeowners to take advantage of tax caps and abatements in return for commitments to make small annual investments in maintaining their property.

Some residents can get financial help with those projects through what’s called a “neighborhood support fee,” paid by participants. That, too, is important. So is transparency and oversight: even some residents are worried about where all the money will go.

The City Council must have regular reports, and full access to the corporation’s records, as the program is implemented. To make the program work, the City Council had to declare the West Side area -- generally I-670 to 31st, State Line to Broadway/Southwest Boulevard/Summit -- as blighted. It is that, at least in some places.

But there are many blighted neighborhoods in Kansas City. If those residents see major tax increases, and demand similar treatment, the cost to various public budgets could grow exponentially. That’s why the City Council must keep a close eye on the outcome of the plan, and consider reasonable guidelines before similar programs are started elsewhere.


Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Gentrification isn't a dirty word. It's displacement that must be countered

OPINION AND COMMENTARY The Kansas City Council took an important step Thursday to provide needed tax relief in the city's West Side neighborhood. It approved an innovative but complicated plan that could cap property taxes for most current residents for up to 25 years. Generally, we support the decision.

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