Tag: Downtown Wichita revitalization
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Wichita petition drive nears end
Wichita city leaders ought to take notice that citizens are so opposed to their actions that they will venture out in winter to gather signatures in opposition.
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Wichita economic development: And then what will happen?
Critics of the economic development policies in use by the City of Wichita are often portrayed as not being able to see and appreciate the good things these policies are producing, even though they are unfolding right before our very eyes. The difference is that some look beyond the immediate — what is seen –…
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The Wichita Eagle on naysayers: a disservice to Wichita
While the Wichita Eagle criticizes those it calls “naysayers,” it is the newspaper’s editorial board itself that is harmful to the people of Wichita and their economic freedom.
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Courtyard Hotel up again for tax breaks
The request for tax breaks by an Old Town Wichita hotel raises several questions of public policy, and illustrates the need for pay-to-play laws in Wichita.
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At Wichita City Council, facts are in dispute
Some Wichita City Council members, including Mayor Carl Brewer, criticize citizens for their use of inaccurate and misleading information. So how do the statements made by council members fare when subjected to scrutiny?
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In Wichita, how tax increment financing can channel tax money
The flow of tax dollars Wichita city leaders have planned for Douglas Place, a proposed hotel in Wichita, creates a mechanism where taxpayer funds are routed to a politically-connected construction firm. And unlike the real world, where developers have an incentive to build economically, the city has created incentives for Douglas Place developers to spend…
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Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Tuesday September 6, 2011
Today: Live music example of overcriminilization, regulation in Wichita; Tax reform in Kansas; Downtown Wichita site launched; Juvenile justice system to be topic; Campaign contributions flow to Wichita’s subsidy supporters; Organ events; Urban planning in Wichita: an outside perspective.
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Our Downtown Wichita launched
As part of an effort to provide information about the Douglas Place project, a proposed renovation of a downtown Wichita office building into a hotel, Americans for Prosperity, Kansas has created a website. The site’s motto is “Limited government and free markets in Downtown Wichita benefit everyone. Centralized planning and crony capitalism benefit only a…
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For Wichita’s Project Downtown, goal keeps slipping
In selling a plan for the revitalization of downtown Wichita, promoters started with a promise of much private investment for just a little public investment. But as the plan proceeded, the goal kept slipping, and the first project to be approved under the final plan will probably not come close to meeting even the modest…
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In Wichita, historic preservation tax credits an inefficient form of developer welfare
As part of the subsidy plan for Douglas Place, a downtown Wichita hotel being proposed, developers plan to make extensive use of historic preservation tax credits to fund their project. This form of developer welfare, besides being inefficient, is largely hidden from public view.
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Intrust Bank Arena depreciation expense ignored
Reports that income earned by the Intrust Bank Arena is down sharply has brought the arena’s finances back into the news. The arena, located in downtown Wichita and owned by Sedgwick County, is deemed to be a success by the county and arena boosters based on “profit” figures generated during its first year of operations.…
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Pay-to-play laws are needed in Wichita and Kansas
In the wake of scandals, some states and cities have passed “pay-to-play” laws. These laws often prohibit political campaign contributions by those who seek government contracts, or the laws may impose special disclosure requirements. But Wichita and Kansas have no such laws.