Robert Layton Archives - Page 4 of 8 Voice For Liberty

Jan

For Wichita’s economic development machinery, failure

Compared to a broad group of peer metropolitan areas, Wichita performs very poorly. As Wichita embarks upon a new era of economic development, we need to ask who to trust with this important task. The good news: In a recent op-ed, Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer wrote that the city needs to make a decision regarding "A more aggressive approach to job creation." (Carl Brewer: Wichita can have a great next year, December 22, 2013 Wichita Eagle) The bad news: Wichita has performed very poorly in job creation in recent decades, and even if we decide on a more aggressive approach,…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Wichita’s policymaking on display

When asked to provide documents that establish the city's proclaimed policy, Wichita city hall is not able to do so, leaving us to wonder just how policy is made. At an April meeting of the Wichita City Council, both Urban Development Director Allen Bell and Wichita city manager Robert Layton explained that for downtown projects, the city's policy that the debt service fund must show a cost-benefit ratio of 1.3 to one or better doesn't apply. (Video of Bell explaining this policy is here, and of Layton doing the same, here. Meeting minutes are here.) More about this policy is…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Wichita economic development not being managed

The Wichita Eagle has reported that Wichita has increased its granting of property tax exemptions in recent years. (Wichita doubles property tax exemptions for businesses, October 20, 2013) Buried in the story is the really important aspect of public policy. In his reporting, Bill Wilson wrote: The Eagle asked the city last week for an accounting of the jobs created over the past decade by the tax abatements, a research project that urban development staffers have yet to complete. “It will take us some time to pull together all the agenda reports on the five-year reviews going back to 2003.…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Wichita does it again

Wichita never seems to learn. Its government, that is. The last time Key Construction was awarded a no-bid contract for building a parking garage in Wichita, it almost cost Wichita taxpayers an extra 27 percent. Now the Wichita City Council has done it again, awarding Key another no-bid contract for a project paid for by taxpayers. In August 2011 the Wichita City Council voted to award Key Construction a no-bid contract to build the parking garage that is part of the Ambassador Hotel project, now known as Block One. The no-bid cost of the garage was to be $6 million,…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

Wichita performs a reference check, the video

Citizens of Wichita are rightly concerned about whether our elected officials and bureaucrats are looking out for their interests, or only for the interests and welfare of a small group of city hall insiders. The video below explains, or click here to view in HD on YouTube. For an article on this topic, see Wichita performs a reference check, sort of.

Sep

By Bob Weeks

Wichita performs a reference check, sort of

For a video presentation of this material, click on Wichita performs a reference check, the video. Citizens of Wichita are rightly concerned about whether our elected officials and bureaucrats are looking out for their interests, or only for the interests and welfare of a small group of city hall insiders. Cronies, if you will. A recent application filed with Wichita City Hall regarding the West Bank Development Project raises two questions: Did the government officials listed as references give their permission, and were any of the references contacted to learn what they knew about the applicants? The application filed by…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

It hasn’t worked, but Wichita will do it again

Tomorrow the Wichita City Council will, in all likelihood, issue more business welfare in an effort to create jobs in Wichita. The applicant company is asking for relief from paying property taxes under the city's Economic Development Exemption (EDX). The city's economic development policy has a formula that determines how much tax can be excused, based on job creation and capital investment. In this case, according to city documents, "WSM Industries qualifies for a 59%, five-plus-five year tax exemption." Not 50 percent, and not 60 percent. Precisely 59 percent is what the city judges. Here's how the tax savings breaks…

Aug

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV August 25, 2013

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV, host Bob Weeks leads viewers through the first two chapters of Henry Hazlitt's book "Economics in One Lesson," using cartoons created by Amanda BillyRock. It's about looking at not only the immediate effects but at the longer effects of any act or policy; and tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups. Amanda uses the parable of the broken window to illustrate. Then, Bob wonders about an evaluation committee formed by the City of Wichita to vet downtown development partners: Did the committee overlook important information, and why…

Aug

By Bob Weeks

Wichita’s evaluation of development team should be reconsidered

In an effort to avoid mistakes made in the past and inspire confidence in the process, parties wishing to receive economic development subsidies for projects in downtown Wichita are evaluated on a variety of measures. The evaluation matrix released for a project to be considered next week by the Wichita City Council, however, ought to be recalculated. City documents describe one of two competing projects as this: "River Vista is proposed by River Vista LLC, a development group comprised of George Laham, Dave Burk, Dave Wells and Bill Warren." It's this ownership team that ought to cause the city concern.…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Wichita: No such document

When asked to provide documents that establish the city's proclaimed policy, Wichita city hall is not able to do so, leaving us to wonder just how policy is made. At last week's meeting of the Wichita City Council, both Urban Development Director Allen Bell and Wichita city manager Robert Layton explained that for downtown projects, the city's policy that the debt service fund must show a cost-benefit ratio of 1.3 to one or better doesn't apply. (Video of Bell explaining this policy is here, and of Layton doing the same, here. Meeting minutes are here.) More about this policy is…