Entrepreneurship Archives - Voice For Liberty

Dec

Year in Review: 2016

Here are highlights from Voice for Liberty for 2016. Was it a good year for the principles of individual liberty, limited government, economic freedom, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas? Also be sure to view the programs on WichitaLiberty.TV for guests like journalist, novelist, and blogger Bud Norman; Radio talk show host Joseph Ashby; David Bobb, President of Bill of Rights Institute; Heritage Foundation trade expert Bryan Riley; Radio talk show host Andy Hooser; Keen Umbehr; John Chisholm on entrepreneurship; James Rosebush, author of "True Reagan," Jonathan Williams of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); Gidget Southway, or Danedri Herbert;…

Regulation in Wichita, a ‘labyrinth of city processes’

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Regulation in Wichita, a ‘labyrinth of city processes’

Wichita offers special regulatory treatment for special circumstances, widening the gulf between the haves and have-nots. The Wichita Eagle reports that part of what the City of Wichita is offering to Cargill as an inducement to stay in Wichita is regulatory relief.[1. Rengers, Carrie. City offers Cargill tax abatement, parking garage financing. Wichita Eagle, June 6, 2016. Available at www.kansas.com/news/business/article82076122.html.] In particular: The city has offered smaller incentives to Cargill as well, including an ombudsman. [Wichita assistant city manager and director of development Scot] Rigby called the ombudsman something of a project manager. “They’ll just call one person,” Rigby said…

WichitaLiberty.TV: John Chisholm on entrepreneurship

May

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: John Chisholm on entrepreneurship

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Author John Chisholm talks about entrepreneurship, regulation, economics, and education. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 119, broadcast May 8, 2016. Shownotes John Chisholm's new book Unleash Your Inner Company: Use Passion and Perseverance to Build Your Ideal Business at Amazon and its own website. John Chisholm Ventures

May

By Bob Weeks

Spirit Aerosystems tax relief

Wichita's largest employer asks to avoid paying millions in taxes, which increases the cost of government for everyone else, including young companies struggling to break through. This week the Wichita City Council will consider offering Spirit Aerosystems economic development incentives that will allow the company to avoid paying some $45 million in taxes. This will be accomplished through the authorization of $280 million of Industrial Revenue Bonds. [1. City of Wichita. Agenda for May 3, 2016. Available at wichita.gov/Government/Council/Agendas/05-03-2016%20City%20Council%20Agenda%20Packet.pdf.] Industrial Revenue Bonds are a vehicle for generating and conveying tax exemptions. [1. Weeks, Bob. Industrial revenue bonds in Kansas. Available…

WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita outreach, city council, and entrepreneurship

Dec

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita outreach, city council, and entrepreneurship

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: A look at Wichita community outreach and communications, rewriting city council history, and entrepreneurship. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 102, broadcast December 6, 2015. Shownotes Activate Wichita and Facebook page Video from Wichita City Council meeting and references Complete remarks from Joseph Ashby Show Kauffman Foundation, Video: Myth-busting Entrepreneurship

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Wichita to consider tax abatements

Wichita considers three tax abatements, in one case forcing an "investment" on others that it itself would not accept. This week the Wichita City Council will consider three tax abatements to companies in the aerospace business. Two are very large companies, and one is in the small business category. In two cases the tax abatements are implemented through industrial revenue bonds. Under this program the city is not lending money. Instead, the program is a vehicle, created by under Kansas law, for companies to avoid paying property tax. In some cases companies may also avoid paying sales tax. In another…

Wichita to consider three tax abatements

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Wichita to consider three tax abatements

When considering whether to grant three property tax abatements, the Wichita city council is unlikely to ask this question: Why can't these companies expand if they have to pay the same taxes everyone else pays? This week the Wichita City Council will consider property tax abatements for three different companies. One is a new request for property tax relief under the city's Economic Development Tax Exemption (EDX) program. The company is a supplier to the aerospace industry. The second is a request for a five-year extension of a five-year property tax abatement. The company met the goals established five years…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Bombardier can be a learning experience

The unfortunate news of the cancellation of a new aircraft program can be a learning opportunity for Wichita. As Wichita seeks to grow its economy, the loss of a new aircraft program at one of the city's major employers is unwelcome news. Now it is important that our leaders and officials seek to learn lessons from this loss. But first, we must acknowledge the loss. Wichita economic development officials are quick to trumpet successes, but so far there is no mention of this loss from the city or its economic development agencies. The project received state, local and federal incentives.…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Entrepreneurship in Wichita

As Wichita seeks to reboot its spirit of entrepreneurship, we should make sure we do things that have a chance of working. The Kauffman Foundation has conducted research. One paper is Guidelines for Local and State Governments to Promote Entrepreneurship. In its introduction, it holds this: In this paper, we begin with a critical overview of two of the most commonly used strategies to promote entrepreneurship: creating public venture funds and business incubators. We then explain that these strategies often neglect an essential principle: connectivity and learning by entrepreneurs. Next, we describe ways in which public venture funds and incubators…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Wichita cheers its planned economy

While success in growing a company is welcome in Wichita, there are broader issues that affect the rest of the metropolitan area. This week the Wichita City Council extended a property tax abatement for a manufacturing company in Wichita. The tax abatement was granted under the city's Industrial Revenue Bonds program. Under this program no city money is lent to the company. The sole reason for the bonds is the accompanying property tax exemption, and in some cases, a sales tax exemption. City documents from 2008 estimate the company will avoid paying $239,051 in property taxes for the first year.…