Comments on: Another nasty TIF abuse

By: Thou Shall Not Suck » Blog Archive » Striking Similarities

Thou Shall Not Suck » Blog Archive » Striking Similarities — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 03:21:41 +0000

[...] But then KMBC decided this was one of its top stories last night, despite all of the other things going on around the area. How about doing some journalism? I’ll even give you a story: how come whenever we get a heavy rain, the sewers turn Brush Creek into a cesspool, but still haven’t been fixed? Maybe bring up the fact that while million dollar condos are nice and all (as is TIF money for ridiculous developments), some infrastructure would be nice — after all, rich people gotta poo too. [...]

By: nemo31

nemo31 — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 15:50:10 +0000

Progessive young pros in most cases refer to themselves as the “Creative Class”. A. Birch
pointed it out. This is a fad throughout teh country. Subsidized condos, lofts, lattes and fun places for them to play. The developers love it they make out, the CC loves it they have a planned subsidized life style. The politicos love it they see it as sexy. Who pays? Everybody else! You do not want these people on your council. Maybe younger but more conservative. Anyway, when these younger people meet someone, get married and start having kids, they will be heading to the suburbs. Then the loft/condo developments loose value and guess whos makes up theTIF or abatement shortfall. Just more of theat Richard Florida crap. At least they fianlly ran him out of Pittsburgh. We were able to resist a lot of this in NW PA but some younger folks got elected and some are trying to push this. This in a community that 52% of the households are low/mod income. They claim the tax breaks and subsidies will provide incentives to grow out of local budget problems. “VoDoo Economics”.

By: Alan Birch

Alan Birch — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 17:25:07 +0000

Yeah, right. Don’t forget that most of the new “active young professionals” in the urban core are living in TIF subsidized and otherwise tax-abated condominiums.

By: kenny

kenny — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 14:52:42 +0000

I got it. I am curious as to when you’re coming back though. You sound like the kind of activist this city needs. We have a golden opportunity for some young progressive leaders to emerge this next council election. There will be a major turnover in the council.

I hope this election won’t be the same old tired bunch of geezers who think they know best.

By: SK

SK — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:14:02 +0000

Poor ukee. It’s that “us and them” attitude that keeps KC from reaching its potential. If people band together to make something better- “I” never said I was going to “save” anything- we can make things happen. Until people (ukee, city council, etc) open up and become INclusive rather than EXclusive, the dreamers of KC will just keep on dreaming.

BTW- Kenny, hopefully YOU got the jest in the “just wait” statement. Absolutely no boasting was intended…

By: ukee

ukee — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 02:45:28 +0000

wooooo, go get them SK, we can’t wait for you to come back to KC and ave us!

By: SK

SK — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 21:19:22 +0000

You just wait, Kenny. I’ve been living on the west coast for over 5 year now and have plans to come back “home” to KC. I have learned that it takes viewing a city from both the inside and the outside to see the good, the bad, and the potential. I look forward to coming back and becoming active in the movement for a BETTER KC.

By: kenny

kenny — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 21:05:41 +0000

SK. Hopefully there will also be an increase in active YOUNG professionals on the council. Have you looked at the demographic on this bunch? Is there one councilman under the age of 50? Sweep ‘em all out I say.

By: SK

SK — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:44:01 +0000

This absolutely disgusts me. TIF abuses in KC have been going on far too long without anyone stepping up and and putting a stop to it (or at least attempting to). This proves the apathy of the KC voters. Hopefully with the increase of active young professionals in the urban core, there will be a movement towards ACCOUNTABILITY.

By: Mark Forsythe

Mark Forsythe — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:48:40 +0000

They know we’re disgusted Heidi, they just don’t care. They take the attitude that we the proletariat can’t comprehend economic development strategies and therefore they must make these deals “for the good of the city.”

Kenny is right though. It’s going to take more than an 11-1 grandstand play.

You have to love the rationale about not waiting until the area became blighted. How does a meadow become blighted? Too many dandelions?