The E-Tax fight is getting closer and closer and while rural Missouri is likely to put the issue into play locally. Nevertheless, what we've seen from most locals running for reelection is an energetic endorsement of Kansas City's Earnings Tax. In fact, just about everybody running for City Council and Mayor supports keeping the E-Tax in place.
Until Now.
6TH DISTRICT AT-LARGE CANDIDATE TRACY WARD HAS BEEN OUTSPOKEN IN HER OPPOSITION TO KANSAS CITY'S E-TAX AND SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED REPEAL!!!
It's a bold move that's sure to draw opposition . . . But maybe a lot of support as well. Think about this: Public sentiment against the E-Tax has always been high from Conservatives and a few anti-tax voices. So far Ward is the FIRST AND ONLY candidate in the current election to go on record against the E-Tax.
I had a brief electronic exchange of ideas with Ward and her money quote was exceptionally captivating.
Regarding the E-Tax, Ward noted: "I think it should be abolished, cut off the head of the beast as far as corruption in spending at City Hall."
Harsh words to be sure but that sentiment is sure to hit home with so many folks dissatisfied with the current state of local government and the overall anti-incumbent mood across the nation. Even better for Ward, she's the only local politico saying as much.
For a candidate running a grassroots campaign and hoping to let her ideas and opinions take center-stage rather than the list of her special interest connections -- She's already ahead of the game when it comes to distinguishing herself from typical KC candidates and politics as usual in this town.
Developing . . .
Run, Tracy, Run!
ReplyDeletethe e-tax has nothing to do with corruption ...consider all the people who use KC's streets, amenities, and services. the e-tax allows them to pay their fair share.
ReplyDeleteJust what we need--another moron running for office.
not a serious candidate. another moron that doesn't have a clue.
ReplyDeleteHot.
ReplyDeleteTracy, you complained about cleaning up your own back alley in YOUR neighborhood and how hard work it was. Cry me a river. Get a clue.Your rebel rousing is a joke. Come up with some real ideas pleese.Neighborhood hard work is going on every day.
ReplyDeleteDid she happen to mention in this captivating exchange exactly how she would reduce spending, or replace the revenue from another source that does not include sales or property taxes? Is she going to bring back the city stickers on cars? Maybe some urban farming permit fees? As a resident of the 6th, I say she better have a real plan instead of spouting BS about the head of the beast. The real beast is the failing infrastructure and that beast must be fed. It is short sighted for someone who wants to represent the 6th to put even more of a burden on us. Wants less government, lower taxes, says all politicians are corrupt, and has pink hair. Is she running on the "herbal" tea party ticket?
ReplyDeleteShe's more of a Libertarian than a tea party member. Tony, ask here where Obama was born!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the KC 2010-2011 budget:
ReplyDelete2007-08 Total Revenues were $1,280,997,748 while the General Fund represented $534,475,341 of the Total Revenues.
2008-2009 Total Revenues were 1,861,536,286 while the General Fund represented $549,545,425 of the total Revenues.
In 2007-08 the E-tax represented 15.71% of their Total Revenue from all sources.
In 2008-09 the E-tax represented only 11.07% of their Total Revenue from all sources.
2007-08 E-tax collected was $201,252,331.
2008-09 E-tax collected was $202,249,290.
The E-tax would be a non-issue if a few things would happen. First, corruption in city hall and the TIF projects. I believe that there is enough said. Second, the city's attacks on small entrepreneurs in order for their own projects (Power and Light, for example) to succeed need to stop. City Hall is doing a great job at trying to destroy the small businesses that make Kansas City great. Third, snow removal is terrible. When those who commute to KC to work have to wait three days for the streets to be cleared, we have problems. Lastly, with so much corruption and waste running rampant through City Hall, why would we want to maintain their cash flow for such substandard services?
History shows that decreasing taxes can increase tax revenue because it actually attracts extra business.
This tax will be slowly phased out, over ten years, and I'm sure through that time those at City Hall can find ways to cut through some of the waste, corruption, and bureaucracy that is running rampant right now.
Tracy your plan doesn't have any substance. How are you going to substitute that money?
ReplyDeleteIt's all based on a pipe dream. Think it through and come up with real numbers that will deal with the loss. The only way it would work is with massive cuts to our budgets. That represents services to our City.
Not a good plan. Destructive. And not something a responsible public offical would propose.
Well, there is your answer.
ReplyDeleteclueless.
ReplyDeleteGive Tracy credit for being on the right track. You can't get a little bit pregnant and you can't fight corruption without cutting off the source of it's power: Funding.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with Tracy on everything but I think her thoughts about the e-tax are honest and need to be developed even more. KC can do without welfare and now we need to figure out how.
Tracy is on the right track. TIF skimming $60 to $70 million, $10 to $15 million for Power & Light out of the general fund. Not what the citizens were promised when E-Tax was voted for in 1964 and 1970.
ReplyDeleteLet's see some tits before we consider her a real candidate!
ReplyDeleteGET'EM OUT!
ReplyDeleteTracey is speaking to deeper truths and will be a strong voice for the people she represents. I chuckle at the political hacks who act like their schtick is some kind of rocket science. :P Further, anyone who does not admit the signs of corruption everywhere is either a "head in the sander", or a criminal political hack. Our governments really are getting out of control. Governments that grow like ours eventually collapse under their own weight. That is a historical fact.
ReplyDeleteThe way to curtail government growth is to start cutting taxes and trimming fat. The e-tax seems a real "small business" killer and is a great place to start.
Unsustainable growth is just that, _unsustaianable_. It is child abuse to saddle our unborn children with debt, hoping some solution presents itself down the road. Horrifically, history has shown the solutions of the past are often war... While no system is perfect, the preservation and promotion of human liberty has shown itself to be the state that results in the greatest relative prosperity, across the board. Human liberty, freedom.
In times like these people like Tracey stand up. And people like me get behind her.
GO WARD!
Tracy stop! The more you spout off in real generalities the more you sound uninformed. Im sorry. Im sure you are a nice person. Continue to make your neighborhood better and get involved but you are not ready to be an elected official.Save yourself and your friends money on campaighn contibutions.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good think this seat is only one vote of thirteen. If she had a clue, she would realize most of the e-tax is paid by non KCMO citizens. Getting rid of the e-tax would hurt KCMO citizens, especially those who are retired and pay no e-tax. But isn't it more fun being an asshole and opposing the government?
ReplyDeleteTell us Tracy, what color is the sky in your world. Oh wait, pink?
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin with pink hair.
ReplyDeleteMy question, to those not posing questions, but casting derision: what would YOUR solution be to the repeal of the e-tax? It seems to me to be a simple way to pile upon a foundation cracking from bloat. However, I don't claim to have the answer.
ReplyDeleteSale me on yours.
I would bet Tracys E-tax contribution each year to the city is about 150-200 bucks. Not a-lot to fight about. That was about what her fine for running the red light was that she made such a big deal about.Tracy, you have alot of time on your hands put it to good use.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she should cut the budget of Patrick Touhey by not paying him?
ReplyDeleteTony treating this woman as a serious candidate with constructive ideas is a great fraud.
ReplyDeleteAnyone been to Overland Park and Olathe lately? Business is pouring into those cities, crime is low, incomes are high, and neighborhoods as well as business properties are not only clean, they are orderly. Those aren't Republican or Democrat successes, they are the direct result of people not wanting their cities to tank and look like shit while doing so.
ReplyDeleteOh brother! Tracy is one of the few people who even understands FREEDOM. People are always so quick to jump on the people who are working to actually restore America--armchair quarterbacks, away with you and be gone! She is beautiful besides and her hair is fab!!
ReplyDeleteSo far who are the alternatives to Tracy for 6th district at large. Jason Holsman? That guy is the brightest star in his own night sky. Fooled the voters into thinking he was the hard working, stand up guy while he just thinks about taking the next step towards mayor or governor taking advantage of everything he can along the way. Chuck Eddy? Do you want that again? Really? The guy who doesn't want you to be able to buy a hot dog or slice pizza on the street. I don't have the answers but I don't want what came before or more of the same. I haven't heard any other names except these three so if anyone knows of more, cough them up.
ReplyDeleteHow about Dan Tarwater or Mike Brown?
ReplyDeleteI have known the Wards personally for years and I cannot speak enough about their quality of character or dedication to their community. In the face of adverse operating conditions and superficial hiccups, Tracy has worked tirelessly to improve the community in which she inhabits for as long as I can remember. Transferring that commitment to public office is the next logical step in an already extensive life spent serving the people.
ReplyDeleteI have met and respect Tracy. I have paid and HATE the E-tax. The point where I had to pay it was when I was very poor paying my own bills and my dad's while he was dying. I was paying so much in taxes including this one that I didn't have enough to pay bills. I had to drop out of college though I was carrying a 4.0 and living frugally. It made me sick every time I saw my check and that tax was tacked on to it. I felt robbed. The roads are supposed to be paid for in gas tax & I can't stand all the stupid "art" the city has blown money on. If people want to look at ugly art they can pay a ticket to a museum or donate money. Robbing everyone including the poor to buy ridiculous crap is obnoxious and wrong. The E-tax is a regressive tax that hurts everyone but especially those who make the least and rely on every dollar just to eat. I also wonder how much commerce is not done in the area because of the tax and how many really intelligent workers refuse to work here because they're too smart to pay the tax. I know of at least 1 KC business that pays all it's checks from an account in the middle of Kansas just so it's employees can avoid this dumb tax.
ReplyDeleteFinds it funny that Anonymous(28th 8:34)cheers for raising taxes and wants to add them on wherever possible, yet then tries to claim Tracy wanting to get rid of a tax puts an undue burden on us. Irony?
ReplyDeleteHow is opposing the government being an A-hole? Except for in Riverside, I've yet to meet a single elected politician in MO and I'd like to consider myself active. From the pictures and radio interviews though, they all look and sound like snobs to me. I've met Tracy and she's a regular person who knows history and cares, whether she has lots to learn or not. It's not like she's running for Mayor here folks. Give her a break and see how she does.
ReplyDeleteThe sky isn't actually blue. I laugh at how ignorant sounding people seem so smug saying it is.
ReplyDelete.......
Tracy Ward is nothing like Palin in the least. Anyone who thinks that knows ZERO about Tracy and has quite clearly never met her. I'm going to guess it was another hippie socialist waiting for a handout who made that claim.
........
Anonymous who said $200 a year is not a lot to fight about. Please hand me your debit card real quick I need to overcharge you $200 for anything and see how you react.
........
The "person" who pointed to Johnson County looking nice to defend a tax that no one is charged in Johnson County, did you think that one through? Our business is going there. Why? No e-tax. You know what else all went to Kansas? Adult entertainment which used to be big revenue in MO. I know I won't be attending any strip clubs in MO after the new "Christian" Republican restrictions made them a joke.
People who defend the e-tax as essential are falling for the slight of hand trick. On one hand, they spend without a second thought to the future and go into needless debt for pet projects and to pay babck their corporate friends. On the other hand, they struggle to pay for basic needs and convince the likes of 8:30 that they can't live without that extra bit of our paycheck. How do you replace that money? Let's do an outside audit of where every dollar is because if presto- they have oney for MAST pensions, they have money hidden because they were so broke they had to fire people and cut servies just 6 months ago. Second, stop with the green light tax abatement. Let good projects go forward with TIF Bonds backed by the developer at no risk to the city. That throw away debt would account for a huge portion of the e-tax elimination and would have supported a multi-year plan to eliminate it. So, that's the hindsight, what about here forward? Elect people who have the brains to know how much e-tax drives businesses and resident's away and set a plan to shift funding away from wasteful spending and contribtor giveaways. Will that happen with TIF Lawyers, uneducated candidates and has beens who cut deals for power like Rowland? No it won't. Forget that weirdo Henry Klein or that blowhard Al Riedererer. This council is a puppet of unions and contributors and their ego far exceeds their ability so we are screwed unless we get a new crop of people in there.
ReplyDeleteWe've heard about "waste, fraud, and abuse" from every candidate at every level of government and after they're elected (Reagan comes to mind) the spending continues to increase just as before.
ReplyDeleteAnd we're always looking for some structural or procedural way to make government work better.
THE WAY TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENT IN KCMO IS TO ELECT BETTER CANDIDATES, MAYBE EVEN PEOPLE WITH SOME IDEAS AND PROPOSALS ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY, NOT JUST FOLKS WHO ARE PROMISING THE SAME OLD INSIDERS THAT THEY'LL BE TAKEN CARE OF.
THERE'S AN ELECTION COMING UP. GET IN THE GAME1
I noticed those that have NEGATIVE COMMENTS, sure are too chicken-shit to post their names. Go figure, have a mouth and hide behind anonymity. Nice people post benefits of e-tax, but never what the real fact is and where it truly goes. Yes lets repair things with the money, but repair the RIGHT things, and quit giving it for things that can wait.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Tony. You found a good mudhole to stir up! Tracy is using the foil of "corruption" as the reason to eliminate the e-tax. That's code for "I don't like how you spend the money, so I'm taking the money away from you." No tax is perfect in its equity. But if you think eliminating a tax will force reform, you are mistaken. The weakest will suffer. Frankly, I don't care about South KC. If they want to live out in some far away place, be prepared to pay for it. E tax allows you to have your cake and eat it too.
ReplyDeleteUm, I like don't like um the e-tax and I like want to abolish, like, the tax and um, replace it with a world of love and peace and happiness and um, like, a place where there is like no money and um people like just help everyone else and like give each other like the things they need?
ReplyDeleteElect her and make KC even more of a laughing stock.
ReplyDeleteTracy Ward's campaign slogan..."Give Kansans a tax break!!"
ReplyDeleteThat's all the elimination of the earnings tax will accomplish.
Look for the economic development people in KS to campaign to keep the E-tax. Its their best development tool.
ReplyDeleteShow us those tits, baby.
ReplyDeleteIs her pubic hair pink?
ReplyDeleteTracy, there are a number of problems with your analysis of the e-tax. First, you state that decreasing taxes will attract extra business. But the earnings tax doesn’t affect the bottom line of companies. Whether a company pays 1% to its workers or to city hall is irrelevant to its calculations of where that business should be located.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, you’re asking for increased development in the form of more businesses coming to KCMO while complaining about the “obvious” corruption of the means by which this city attracts new business.
Finally you complain about a lack of services (i.e. snow removal) while simultaneously railing against the very revenue source which makes those services possible. You wish to cut anywhere from 15 to 40% of the KC budget out AND you want to increase the efficacy of government programs? It can’t work that way.
What you’re asking is for a city hall that can barely balance its budget as it is to tell its workers who haven’t received even a cost of living increase in three years that they’re going to have to work harder for less money to make up for the lack of services they no longer have the means to provide.
What you’ll end up with is a government that’s the exact opposite of what you want.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteIs her pubic hair pink?
IT WAS WHEN I CHECKED SATURDAY NIGHT.
The E-tax doesn't effect the bottom line of business? The business also pays 1% on its profits. And don't you think they have a little harder time attracting and retaining employees when they compete against employers who don't have the E-tax.
ReplyDeleteDoes the carpet match the drapes???
ReplyDeleteConsidering that Missouri jobs pay more than KS jobs when I was job hunting, the 1% is irreverent. Kansas is a pro business, anti worker state. The wages and job protections are worse there and as a result, it is cheaper for business to get by because there aren't the laws to hold them accountable.
ReplyDeleteDan Osman - try telling the NAIC or the KC Civic Council that the etax doesn't affect where a business locates. Why else would they get a big tax break on the tax? Mind you, regular taxpayers never see a 50% decrease in this or any other tax.
ReplyDeleteTracy is right on the money, in my book, and I'm glad at least ONE KC politico has the gumption to say this is a bad tax. Everyone who has pointed to the TIFs and every other bit of unnecessary spending by city hall is underlining why we need to at least vote on this tax. It would make the city tell us how they are spending this money, and why they give breaks to some businesses and not others, and what the real cost of the etax is to the Missouri side of KC. If they can show me a fat-free budget that supports only important city services, I'll vote to keep it. If not, well, I can't see any other way of keeping the politicians accountable. 3 decades of politicians coming and going hasn't done the trick, so maybe it's time to give the veto on this tax to the people paying it, not the few in city hall benefiting from this direct channel to our paychecks for whatever fun, fancy and frivolous crap they want to dish out to their friends and pet interests.
Look at all the haters. This is some funny shit.
ReplyDeleteThe same retards who're saying that Tracy's an idiot and doesn't know what the hell she's talking about are the same folks who championed the Co-Mayor's and got the Gruesome Twosome elected.
Like anyone in K.C. who's not inbred would listen to their bullshit red herring screeds.
Total losers.
The Johnson County folks are laughing their ass off at Kansas City citizens. Doing away with the e-tax will un-tax them and tax us.
ReplyDeleteNone of the politicans in JoCo have pink hair.
ReplyDeleteDavid B Summerly, looked you up in peoplefinders and you don't seem to live in Kansas City Missouri. But by all means, please use our stadiums, zoo, world of fun, etc.
ReplyDeleteHere is why I would not vote for Tracy. Either 1) some rich business person who lives in JoCo and works in KCMO is pulling her strings; 2) She just doesn't understand what eliminating the e-tax will do to KCMO residents; or 3) she just doesn't care about KCMO residents.
ReplyDelete