TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! CROOKED CITADEL PLAZA PROJECT LIKELY TO BE PUSHED THROUGH TOMORROW!!! CULTURE OF CORRUPTION RULES KANSAS CITY!!!

Another day, another disappointment in Kansas City.

One of the most AWESOME TKC TIPSTERS just sent an e-mail in order to inform me that more than 20 million bucks just might be rammed through the City Council legislative session tomorrow in order to fund the Citadel Plaza project!!!

And before we get into this . . . Let's consider development deals in Kansas City's African-American community for a second. Of course we need to invest money in the Eastside, of course the dividing lines in this town are disgusting and representative of an overall sense of SUPREMACY that permeates this town. But tax breaks and sleazy public money deals don't hold the promise of the road to prosperity because they usually only benefit a few suits and politicos (see: Mayor Funky's New Tools Program). Again and again, it's important to realize that a greater focus on SECURITY is the only way to spark economic development on the Eastside. On the other side of Troost entrepreneurs are far more innovative than anywhere else in the metro . . . But crime kills business . . . So every bit of economic stimulus sent that way simply ends up wasted because of a failure to truly connect, cooperate and fund the Eastside in order to achieve a lower crime rate and safer neighborhoods -- The cornerstone of any successful business attempt. The tragedy in all of this is that it's all set up as a racial issue rather than simply looking for an expedient way to control crime on the Eastside.

Now, let's get to the details of the the upcoming Citadel Plaza Debacle:

Word is, the money slated to come from the Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC).

Rumor has it that the deal is the brainchild of City Hall Finance dude Jeff Yates who has a penchant for experimenting with weird financing schemes at the behest of City Manager Wayne Cauthen. The fast and loose approach to City Hall finances and freakish experiments have labeled Yates as "Kansas City's Mengele of money." Which is quite a clever nickname for this cowtown.

The advance of money out of PIAC's 5 year plan violates rules (i.e. laws) regarding use of public funds for private projects.

Most importantly . . .

THIS PROPOSED CITADEL PLAZA PUSH THROUGH VIOLATES CITY CHARTER REGULATIONS REGARDING INTER-FUND BORROWING!!!

However, there's a small glimmer of hope the deal might not happen because the Council needs a 2/3rds majority vote on this move and not just a simple majority. However, judging from charter legal confusion in the past . . . There's no telling whether or not this rule (i.e. law) will be enforced.

In the final analysis, despite the fact that this thing could be turned into yet another racial issue . . . The bad finances of this deal are a big part of what is pushing Kansas City into bankruptcy and ruining this town's credit ranking. Of course there will be silly defenses of the details of this deal but the fact is that, in the end, it's really just a horribly planned scheme using taxpayer dollars to finance a weird semi-private deal. It's corporate welfare plain and simple . . . With little chance of success. Citadel Plaza has, so far, been an unmitigated environmental and economic disaster. And now, politicos are trying to move quickly under the radar and encourage Kansas City to simply and stupidly throw money at the problem.