Author: Bob Weeks
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Wichita voter opinion on city spending and taxation
Wichita voters give their opinions on city spending, subsidies for economic development, and their willingness to pay higher taxes for certain services.
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Wichita government prefers rebates to markets
Today the Wichita City Council may decide to revive a program to issue rebates to persons who purchase water-saving appliances.
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With new tax exemptions, what is the message Wichita sends to existing landlords?
As the City of Wichita prepares to grant special tax status to another new industrial building, existing landlords must be wondering why they struggle to stay in business when city hall sets up subsidized competitors with new buildings and a large cost advantage.
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Wichita: We have incentives. Lots of incentives.
Wichita government leaders complain that Wichita can’t compete in economic development with other cities and states because the budget for incentives is too small. But when making this argument, these officials don’t include all incentives that are available.
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Another Friday lunch, and even more lights are on
When Wichita city leaders tell us that the budget and spending have been cut to the bone, that everything that can be done to save money has already been done, remember my Friday trips to downtown for lunch.
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Let’s create something special and unique
As a county commissioner I am focused on creating a special advantage for everyone in Sedgwick County. Eliminating the county’s property tax is an idea whose time has come.
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Misguided faith
A big “thank you” to Mike Smith for his rebuttal to an op-ed printed in today’s Wichita Eagle.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Government accounting, Government ownership of infrastructure, and Wichita commercial property taxes
Government leaders tell us they want to run government like a business. But does government actually do this, even when accounting for its money? Then, is it best for government to own all the infrastructure? Finally, taxes on Wichita commercial property are high, compared to the rest of the nation.
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Questions for the next Wichita city attorney: Number 4
Wichita’s city attorney is retiring, and the city will select a replacement. There are a few questions that we ought to ask of candidates, such as: Can the city disregard charter ordinances when they inconvenience the council’s cronies?
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In Wichita, the attitude of some elected officials needs adjustment
In this excerpt from WichitaLiberty.TV: Attitudes of Wichita government leaders towards capitalism reveal a lack of understanding. Is only a government-owned hotel able to make capital improvements? Then, two examples of the disdain elected officials express towards their constituents who don’t agree with them.
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A lesson for Wichita in economic development
When a prominent Wichita business executive and civic leader asked for tax relief, his reasoning allows us to more fully understand the city’s economic development efforts and nature of the people city hall trusts to lead these endeavors.
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In Wichita, ‘free markets’ cited in case for economic development incentives
A prominent Wichita business uses free markets to justify its request for economic development incentives. A gullible city council buys the argument.