Tag: Economic development
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Wichita TIF projects: some background
Tax increment financing disrupts the usual flow of tax dollars, routing funds away from cash-strapped cities, counties, and schools back to the TIF-financed development. TIF creates distortions in the way cities develop, and researchers find that the use of TIF means lower economic growth.
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Wichita loan agreement subject to interpretation
In 2009 the City of Wichita entered into an ambiguous agreement to grant a forgivable loan, and then failed to follow its own agreement. Worse yet, there has been no improvement to similar contracts. Such agreements empower the city to grant favor at its discretion.
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Wichitaliberty.TV: Special taxes for artists
In this excerpt from WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita government spending on economic development leads to imagined problems that require government intervention and more taxpayer contribution to resolve. The cycle of organic rebirth of cities is then replaced with bureaucratic management.
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Clawbacks illustrate difficulty of economic development
Politicians and government officials like clawbacks in economic development incentive agreements. But do these provisions have any negative aspects?
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Year in Review: 2014
Here is a sampling of stories from Voice for Liberty in 2014.
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Economic development in Sedgwick County
The issue of awarding an economic development incentive reveals much as to why the Wichita-area economy has not grown.
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Kansas is not an entrepreneurial state
The performance of Kansas in entrepreneurial activity is not high, compared to other states.
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In Wichita, running government like a business
In Wichita and Sedgwick County, can we run government like a business? Should we even try? Do our leaders think there is a difference?
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Economic development in Wichita: Looking beyond the immediate
Decisions on economic development initiatives in Wichita are made based on “stage one” thinking, failing to look beyond what is immediate and obvious.
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Research on economic development incentives
As Wichita considers how to grow its economy, its reliance on targeted economic development incentives should be guided by research, not the grandstanding of politicians and bureaucrats.
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This week, Wichita has a chance to increase government transparency
The Wichita City Council can decide to disclose how taxpayer money is spent, or let it remain being spent in secret.
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In Wichita, the need for campaign finance reform
Actions of the Wichita City Council have shown that campaign finance reform is needed. Citizen groups are investigating how to accomplish this needed reform, since the council has not shown interest in reforming itself.