TKC BREAKING NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY NAACP OPPOSES PRE-K SALES TAX CHAMPIONED BY MAYOR SLY JAMES!!!

This morning we present Kansas City voters a rare opportunity to unite in order to save money.

Conservatives, progressives, residents of both the urban core and the suburbs alike can all agree that push back against more taxes and keeping money in the pockets of Kansas City residents is a worthy cause which we can all support.

Accordingly . . .

THE KANSAS CITY NAACP ANNOUNCES ITS OPPOSITION AGAINST AN UPCOMING 'REGRESSIVE' PRE-K SALES TAX PROPOSED BY MAYOR SLY JAMES!!!

School officials, neighborhood leaders and tax fighters have all chimed in with their criticism of the measure but this bold declaration from a well-respected local group offers the FINAL WORD that should doom the money grab in both the urban core and throughout Kansas City.

Moreover, this very public statement and rebuke of the proposal by Mayor James condemns the rest of his term to that of a lame duck without any political standing in the inner-city or the ability to advance that last remnants of his agenda.



Here's more info on the opposition in the words of this longtime local branch of a venerated civil rights organization:

NAACP OPPOSES THE REGRESSIVE SALES TAX FOR UNIVERSAL PRE-K

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Kansas City Missouri Branch Executive Committee has voted to oppose the Pre-K Economic Development 3/8 Cent Sales Tax. The NAACP fully supports public funding for Public Schools, including early learning Pre-K and K-12.

The NAACP works to ensure that all disadvantaged students and students of color are on the path to college or a successful career by ensuring access to great teaching, equitable resources, and challenging curriculum. We are dedicated to eliminating the severe racial inequities that continue to plague our education system. Our ultimate goal is that every student of color receives a quality public education that prepares him or her to be a contributing member of a democracy.

This proposed tax has several alarming problems we believe will keep children of color in the KCPS District from achieving their goals.

1 - The sales tax places a burden on many of the families KCPS serves. Sales taxes are considered regressive because they take a larger percentage of income from low- income taxpayers.

2 - The Pre-K Economic Development 3/8 cent sales tax is a voucher system that hurts public school education. The Pre-K plan creates a precedent for attacking education funding to children, similar to legislative proposals designed to create education vouchers and education saving accounts that would erode funding for public education systems. The NAACP does not support the use of public funding for private nonsectarian and religious schools.

3 - The NAACP stands in full support of the superintendents and the 14 affected school districts with their opposition to this tax. These Districts are already working in collaboration with their communities to address the education needs and priorities of their families. The NAACP does not support an appointed board with no requirements to meet accountability and standards for public schools.

4 - The Pre-K Economic Development Sales Tax fails in the area of educational equality because the plan does not prioritize Pre-K where it is needed most. Simply put the Pre-K sales tax is inappropriate and does not produce equity and inclusion.

5 - The Pre-K Economic Development Sales Tax does not measure up to the National NAACP’s four-prong strategy to improve educational achievement for disadvantaged students. The Pre-K sales tax violates at least two of our four prong strategy

⁃ Increasing Resource Equity: Target funds to meet needs of children

⁃ Ensuring College and Career Readiness: A path to success after graduation for all students

The NAACP has a 110 year history of fighting for equal and quality education for ALL. Today, the NAACP Is focused on disparities in economics, health care, education, voter empowerment and the criminal justice system while also continuing its role as a legal advocate for civil rights issues.
###############

Developing . . .