Voice For Liberty

Category: Wichita city government

  • Wichita City Council Candidate James Barfield Addresses Activists

    At Monday’s combined meeting of Campaign For Liberty and Hope For America Coalition, candidate for the Wichita city council district 1 seat James Barfield spoke to the 40 or so activists who gathered. “Wichita has a gang problem. A legalized gang operating at 455 N. Main. It’s time for a gang intervention.” He went on…

  • Wichita Election Coverage Launched

    With the March 3 primary election for Wichita city council and school board seats fast approaching, I’ve started a special page of coverage. The page contains links to news stories and candidate websites. If you are aware of news stories or candidate websites that I’ve missed, please send them to me by email at bob.weeks@gmail.com.…

  • More Subsidy for Downtown Wichita Developers

    Today’s Wichita Eagle reports that Wichita’s “Minnesota Guys,” formally known as Real Development, are seeking yet another subsidy as they work in downtown Wichita. The article in the Eagle is HUD loan sought for downtown Wichita apartment plan. In this case, the subsidy sought is a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Housing and…

  • Prudence Requires Postponement of Wichita TIF District: The Video

    Bob Weeks recommends postponing approval of a Wichita TIF district until new procedures are put in place. Plus, a question about future mill levies, with a response from council member Sharon Fearey. The remarks in printed form are at this link: Prudence Requires Postponement of Wichita TIF District.

  • Prudence Requires Postponement of Wichita TIF District

    Remarks to be delivered to the Wichita City Council on January 6, 2009. Mr. Mayor, members of the council: Last month it was discovered that procedures used to investigate the background of potential city business partners were lacking in some respects. It is now recognized that the process that were in place failed to give…

  • Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer’s Message to Wichitans

    Here’s a message someone sent to me. It’s from Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer. It describes some of the ways that government grew in Wichita during 2008. It also promotes the mayor’s plan for greater centralized planning and control over Wichita’s future. All this government expansion leads to less prosperity, making the mayor’s wish for a…

  • Wichita city hall: more evidence of lax procedures

    Wichita Eagle reporting from yesterday (Past client: Developer admitted embezzling) provides more evidence of the need for improved procedures and greater accountability at Wichita city hall. In this story, investigative journalist Dion Lefler reports that Grant Gaudreau admitted stealing money from a business partner. This comes to light just after the City of Wichita nearly…

  • Wichita’s naysayers shortchanged again

    At the December 2, 2008 meeting of the Wichita city council, three citizens spoke to the council on the same issue. The treatment these people received in the official minutes of the proceedings varied quite a bit.

  • Tax increment financing (TIF Districts) in Wichita, explained

    Last week I spoke to the Wichita Pachyderm Club about tax increment financing, or TIF districts, in Wichita. John Todd spoke about the same topic, too. Surprisingly, my remarks contained some different material from the talk given to the same group by Allen Bell, Wichita’s director of urban development.

  • Kansas law requires Wichita to hold another public hearing

    Recently, the Wichita city council passed a resolution announcing a public hearing on a TIF district and its project plan. The city then, on the day before the hearing, substantially changed the plan. This change means that the city must hold another public hearing.

  • Some Wichita communications breakdowns are more important than others

    At the December 16, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Mayor Carl Brewer scolded interim city manager Scott Moore for failure to communicate effectively with council members. The process, according to the mayor, “made a complete mockery of the entire process and everything we actually do.”

  • Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer’s selective outrage

    At the Tuesday December 16, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Mayor Carl Brewer expressed his displeasure with the way city staff handled its investigation of a developer the city was preparing to do business with. The problem, it seems, is largely one of communications. City staff didn’t present the council members with relevant…