The current budget debate in Kansas City contradicts talk of economic prosperty amid 2020 campaign season.
Here's a big picture news link to provide perspective:
Fox News: Trump's economy is so good that Dems' new talking point is Obama built it
Meanwhile in Kansas City . . .
The ambitious agenda of the new administration and some council members has been trumped by the structurally unbalanced budget. Amid an otherwise booming economy, money seems tight for progressive Kansas City initiatives at 12th & Oak. Put simply, without more tax increases there's no cash for free bus rides and desperately needed comprehensive citywide pothole repair.
And all of this begs the question:
IF KANSAS CITY SUFFERS A MONEY CRUNCH AMID THE PREZ TRUMP ECONOMIC BOOM, TOUGH TIMES ON THE HORIZON THREATEN CITY HALL'S FINANCIAL STABILITY!!!
Here's a quick glimpse at headlines and further reading that indicate this town is running out of cash:
Freebie Bus Breaks Budget
KCMO leaders discuss proposed $1.7B budget; some concerned over Zero Fare Transit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, leaders on Thursday began going through a proposed $1.734 billion budget for fiscal year 2020-21. As the City Council discussed the nearly 600-page budget at a business session, much of the attention centered on a new item this year: Zero Fare Transit, which will make public buses in the city free of charge.
Elusive Pothole Fix
KC budgets for free rides, fixing potholes
KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The city has unveiled how it is going to use your tax dollars in the next year. Kansas City, Missouri took in nearly $1.8 billion in revenue thanks to a boost from the city's earnings tax.
Tourism Hype Slashed
Mayor Lucas proposes millions in cuts from tourism department to pay for KC convention center hotel
KANSAS CITY - Mayor Quinton Lucas announced plans to cut millions of dollars from the city's tourism budget to help close a $4.4 million gap due to the Loews Kansas City Hotel built near the convention center. Thursday, on the same day Mayor Lucas presented his proposed budget to the full city council, he said [...]
No Money For Art
Youth art program facing budget cuts
Hide Transcript Show Transcript BIANCA: IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER THE GOAL WAS TO PICK SOMETHING THAT CONNECTS YOU TO THE CITY. AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT. BIANCA: MANY OF THE YOUTH COME TO ARTSTECH FROM FAMILY COURT, AFTER TROUBLE WITH THE LAW OR DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL.
Entrepreneurs No Longer Supported By City Hall
Proposed KCMO budget includes $4.8M for zero-fare transit - cuts LaunchKC, KCSourceLink funding
A newly proposed city budget for Kansas City, Missouri, holds steady at $1.73 billion - making room for Mayor Quinton Lucas' zero-fare transit program, while appearing to scale back funding for entrepreneur support across the city. KCMO would remove $50,000 for the LaunchKC program and $75,000 for KCSourceLink, if the submitted budget is approved, according to the document released Thursday afternoon.
This isn't all bad news. Cuts from the "creative class" and tourism rebuke Mayor Sly's questionable vision for Kansas City and bring back a focus to residents and neighborhoods.
Sadly . . .
Repeated warnings about Kansas City's financial health and deficit spending have been repeatedly ignored as the budget burn rate intensifies.
Luckily, locals will soon be able to speak out on these financial conerns and hope City Hall pays attention.
Developing . . .
Quinton did the right thing by cutting tourism. But raising taxes for free buses is not the answer.
ReplyDeleteFix the potholes FIRST.
DeleteEven buses are having trouble with KC's bumpy roads.
"THE PREZ TRUMP ECONOMIC BOOM" is right up there with unicorns, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny.
ReplyDeleteIKR? Trump still blames O for shit that is fucked up but wants all the credit for good things.
DeleteWhat kind of partisan dipshit falls for that kind of doubletalk anyway?
Except it isn't. Weird.
DeleteOh it's real, but we're still waiting for the trickle down.
DeleteWhat kind of partisan dipshit falls for that kind of doubletalk anyway? Well let me put it to you this way: welcome to their website.
DeleteI commend anybody who goes to the budget meetings. I've been and they're always packed with angry people and with consultants trying to feign support for their political cause. A lot of it is theater designed to trick council into believing that a specific program or line item has a huge support but the managers just bring out people on the payroll. Meanwhile residents concerned about trash or the potholes are forced to wait through long lines of shills just to be heard about their street.
ReplyDeleteStill, there are folks committed to speaking to the council about the budget and they deserve a lot of credit. Thanks for that last link about the upcoming meetings.
Just because corrupt Kansas City leadership can't handle the budget with the money they have does NOT mean Trump has not done a good job. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GAVE THEM IT WOULDNT BE ENOUGH!
ReplyDeleteWe should stop throwing good money after bad. Let Sly's corporate welfare hotel sink or swim on its own. If it sinks it could be turned into affordable housing which would actually be a benifit for the people.
ReplyDeleteRemember the city is still ran by a bunch of demorats and that's why it's going down the shitter.
ReplyDelete12:54: It's a gravity-defying trickle up!
ReplyDeleteI’ve seen dramatic improvements in my financial status so I don’t know what you’re expecting 12:54. Did you expect more welfare money or something?
ReplyDelete12:13 Excellent post.
ReplyDeleteGet ready for the effects of the Corona Virus. This shit is real and if the warm weather doesn't minimize the contagion, then look for millions to die.
The Chinese economy is not cratering, it already has. There is no one on the roads and tens of millions are in quarantine.
This shit is real.
The economy will suffer, but, if we are really lucky, we will disengage from China dramatically and be the better for it when this is over.
Chuck your hero said it'd be gone by April, and he never lies, right?
DeleteTrump is leading the cars out to pace the field at Daytona
ReplyDeleteHurrah MAGA!
Where is the open thread for the Daytona 500 that's on? Did anyone see Air Force 1 do the 800 foot fly over of the Raceway before lifting then Landing? How about taking the presidential limo around the track pacing the cars never been done before that's awesome! Then to put the icing on the cake he goes old school with the gentlemen start your engines command.#GOFASTTURNLEFT.....
ReplyDelete"Kansas City, Missouri took in nearly $1.8 billion in revenue thanks to a boost from the city's earnings tax."
ReplyDeleteit's Kansas City, Missouri took in nearly $1.8 billion in revenue thanks to the assessment rip off.
More jobs were created in Obama's last three years than Trump's first three years.
ReplyDeleteCase closed.
You’re dead wrong about who has done more for the economy. The economic expansion had started under Obama and it was easier to create jobs. But they were crap jobs, Middle class income went up $1043 per family in his eight years. Trump has increased incomes $5003 in his first three years. The CBO estimated that Trump would create 2m jobs in his first three years. He created 7m. The economy grew at 1.5% during Obama’s last year in office. That is recession level growth. Thank God Trump was elected and saved our economy from Obama.
DeleteNow I can pretend to be a working class NASCAR driver with another cheap stunt - paid with your tax dollars. I haven't seen anything so natural since John Kerry's windsurfing hunting trip.
ReplyDeleteAre you not entertained?
I hope so, since that's all you're getting. More stunts and photo ops. Now back to my regular cable news watching and tweeting.
The butthurt is strong with this one.
DeleteChuck at 2:01 is spewing FAKE NEWS.
ReplyDelete3:18 is a liar.
ReplyDelete3:30 is the liar. Obama has out gained Trump in both job creation and stock market growth. The truth is out there.
ReplyDeleteYou’re delusional. If not for Trump, Obama’s 1.5% economic growth would have driven us right down into a recession. Go sharpen your crayons.
Delete
ReplyDeleteHa Ha Ha Ha dems are out of their mind. The economy is excellent it's just that Kansas City is mismanaged anyone who doesn't know that is down right stupid. So I know this is a joke.
Are there any taxpayers left in kc? The poc can have it all to themselves. Detroit here we come.
ReplyDelete3:39, and yet Obama didn't do what you claim. Weird.
ReplyDeleteObama invented $4 a gallon gasoline.
ReplyDeleteObama chose which Chevrolet dealers went out of business.
ReplyDeleteAsk Don Kahan (Formerly Chevrolet) what he thinks of Obama.
All the BS also .. if you like you doc you can keep them.
Worse Prez. Ever.
Democrats are stupid... and Black Democrats are morons. Obama didn’t do middle class, Black people or this country any good. The only thing they can say is that he is “biracial” which is not the same as Black.
ReplyDeleteOnly killa shitty dimwits can take the greatest economy we’ve evar seen and go bankrupt, let that sink in......
ReplyDeletePoliticians, like most Americans, have little self-discipline. The more money they take in, the more they spend. No matter how much their income, they live from paycheck to paycheck.
ReplyDelete"Obama invented $4 a gallon gasoline."
ReplyDeleteAnd yet gas first hit $4 a gallon in June 2008 under W. Weird.
According to Obama: “Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that ... If you've got a business — you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen,"
DeleteWhat will Kansas City MO do after the earnings tax is eliminated? The midtown junkies want to disown everything north of the river but north of the river is half of the earnings tax...
ReplyDelete9:12 Nice. Way to kick them in the teeth.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Another favorite from June 6, 2009: "If you like the plan you have, you can keep it. If you like the doctor you have, you can keep your doctor, too. The only change you’ll see are falling costs as our reforms take hold." Barack Obama
DeleteAll Politicians lie. All the time. Obama just lied about lots of really important stuff.
Can't fix potholes. Can't pay for bus transportation. Can't pay to extend the street car. Can't fund Police. Can't fund Fire. Can pay for Hotel. Can pay for airport. Can pay for Lucas to travel out of town.
ReplyDeleteDo we see a problem with the proposed budget?
Holy crap, did the Cult 45ers had their ODS triggered.
ReplyDeletePoint out the economic facts about Obama's better job growth, GDP, stock market, and debt levels - and Trump's people lose their god damn minds.
Oh, Chimpy/1:30, you lost your mind a long time ago, just like your BathHouse hero who Choomed his damn monkey mind away, too.
DeleteRecession level growth? 9:03 needs to go back to school and retake economics.
ReplyDeleteObama prevented a 2nd great depression and saved the auto industry. Obamacare wasn't a government take over, I kept my doctors, and my rates were stable while getting better benefits. If your insurance was crap, that sounds like a personal problem. Take some personal responsibility and get better private insurance. Or did your employer fail you?
Oh, Chimpster/1:42, you're talking out of your monkey butt, as usual. You're a welfare mooch, so, of course, you kept the same zoo veterinarian. And, slow down on those FREE bananas, you lazy, chubby chimp!
DeleteThis $4 million dollars KCMO has to pay to Loews for the next 20 years, if you didn't see this coming then you are as big of a fool as S'lie.
ReplyDeleteBut on the second hand, he's probably not a fool because he probably saw this coming but did it anyway as he know when the check came due he'd be out of office. So he probably didn't give 2 square shits about how it would look or effect the people.
Moving forward, to all the uninitiated, whenever KCMO politicos say a project won't cost tax payers a dime, you may as well write it down that it absolutely will cost tax payers millions. The next nut to drop will be what tax payers have to pay on the airport that everyone said wouldn't cost tax payers a dime. Need further proof? How's the P&L coming along that would pay for itself and not cost tax payers a dime?
Same shit, different day. $4 million a year for 20 years. How much infrastructure could that have fixed? Or how many neighborhoods could that money have served? Instead it's going to fund a project where the the billionaires reap all the rewards but tax payers pay the costs.
Thanks S'lie and City Clowncil
#KorruptCity
Just shows dims can fuck up an anvil. While majority of earners are way better off under Trump, democrapic run shitties are a mess. If dems should take the White House, this country is going straight down the sewer, just like California and New York. Chimpy and his weird "boomer" brethren don't care because they don't have anything to begin with. Their only enjoyment is sitting in the basement and making inane negative remarks that are neither clever nor funny.
ReplyDelete"Their only enjoyment is sitting in the basement and making inane negative remarks that are neither clever nor funny."
ReplyDeleteAnd yet you would be the expert on that topic, complete with clever misspellings and the whole (in your case) two inches. Weird.