Visioneering Archives - Voice For Liberty

Apr

Project Wichita, remember Visioneering Wichita

As Project Wichita gets ready to gather information and set goals, let's be aware that we've done this before, and not long ago. Project Wichita is a new initiative to do something about the future of Wichita. I hope it works. But we've been down this road before, and I don't know of anything created that has been of lasting value. That past effort was Visioneering Wichita. I'd supply a link to its website, but the site went stale from lack of updates. Eventually it was abandoned, although its remnants may be found at archive.org. (Visioneering Wichita does have a…

Project Wichita right to look ahead at city’s future

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Project Wichita right to look ahead at city’s future

We can understand self-serving politicians and bureaucrats. It's what they do. But a city's newspaper editorial board ought to be concerned with the truth. In February the Wichita Eagle editorialized about Project Wichita, a ramping-up effort to do something about the future of Wichita. [1. Wichita Eagle Editorial Board. Project Wichita right to look ahead at city’s future. Available at http://www.kansas.com/opinion/editorials/article198178899.html.] It's worthwhile to take a look at the op-ed, if only to learn something about the quality of Wichita Eagle editorial writing. I understand civic boosterism; the desire to paint a positive image of the future. But this rosy…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

When should Wichita compare itself to peers?

In a Wichita Eagle article about the Intrust Bank Arena in downtown Wichita, we see Wichita public relations consultant Vera Bothner complain that Wichita is being unfairly compared to other cities in our region, in particular Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Kansas City. Wichita is smaller than these cities, she says, and we should not hold Wichita to a standard that it can't meet. But in public life, we find Wichita frequently compared to these cities. These three cities are part of the four metropolitan areas that Visioneering Wichita choose as peers. (The other is Omaha.) During the recent sales tax…

To Wichita, a promise to wisely invest if sales tax passes

Sep

By Bob Weeks

To Wichita, a promise to wisely invest if sales tax passes

Claims of a reformed economic development process if Wichita voters approve a sales tax must be evaluated in light of past practice and the sameness of the people in charge. If these leaders are truly interested in reforming Wichita's economic development machinery and processes, they could have started years ago using the generous incentives we already have. At a conference produced by Kansas Policy Institute on Friday September 19, a panel presented the "nuts and bolts" of the jobs portion of the proposed Wichita sales tax that voters will see on their November ballots. I asked a question: Listening to…

‘Transforming Wichita’ a reminder of the value of government promises

Sep

By Bob Weeks

‘Transforming Wichita’ a reminder of the value of government promises

When Wichita voters weigh the plausibility of the city's plans for spending proposed new sales tax revenue, they should remember this is not the first time the city has promised results and accountability. Do you remember Transforming Wichita? According to the city, "Transforming Wichita is the journey by which we are fundamentally changing the way we measure, report and perform the work of delivering services to the citizens of Wichita." In more detail, the city website proclaimed: "TW is the journey by which we will be fundamentally changing the way we deliver services to the citizens of Wichita. Our vision…

Former Wichita mayor: Where is the water?

Aug

By Bob Weeks

Former Wichita mayor: Where is the water?

Former Wichita mayor Bob Knight explains that when he left office in 2003, we were assured we had water for 50 years. What has happened? Knight also reminded the audience that there is a Sedgwick County sales tax, part of which is divided among cities like Wichita. He also took the Visioneering planning process to task. In the past ten years, he wondered why no one asked about a city without water. From a forum at Wichita Pachyderm Club on July 22, 2014. View below, or click here to view at YouTube.

Wichita performs well in local government job creation

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Wichita performs well in local government job creation

The Wichita metropolitan area compares well creating jobs in local government, but trails in private sector jobs. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics through 2013 allows us to compare the Wichita metropolitan area with the peers selected by Visioneering Wichita. I've gathered BLS data divided by industry sector. When considering only government jobs, especially local government jobs, Wichita ranks high. When looking at private sector jobs, however, Wichita is in last place, and by a wide margin. This is a problem. It is the private sector that generates the taxes that pay for government. When government grows faster than…

A lesson for Wichita in economic development

Jun

By Bob Weeks

A lesson for Wichita in economic development

When a prominent Wichita business executive and civic leader asked for tax relief, his reasoning allows us to more fully understand the city's economic development efforts and nature of the people city hall trusts to lead these endeavors. In November 2013 the Wichita City Council granted an exemption from paying property and sales tax for High Touch Technologies, a company located in downtown Wichita. This application is of more than usual interest as the company's CEO, Wayne Chambers, is now chair of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, along with its subsidiary Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, are…

In Wichita, ‘free markets’ cited in case for economic development incentives

Jun

By Bob Weeks

In Wichita, ‘free markets’ cited in case for economic development incentives

A prominent Wichita business uses free markets to justify its request for economic development incentives. A gullible city council buys the argument. At the December 10, 2013 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Bombardier LearJet received an economic development incentive that will let it avoid paying some property taxes on newly-purchased property. The amount involved in that particular incident is relatively small. According to city documents, "the value of the abated taxes on that investment could be as much as $1,980." This week Bombardier was before the council again asking for property tax abatements. City documents estimate the amount of…

Wichita per capita income not moving in a good direction

May

By Bob Weeks

Wichita per capita income not moving in a good direction

Despite its problematic nature, per capita income in Wichita is used as a benchmark for the economy. It's not moving in the right direction. As Wichita plans its future, leaders need to recognize and understand its recent history. One of the benchmarks used by Visioneering Wichita to measure the growth of the Wichita-area economy may not be the best statistic, and its interpretation requires caution. The measure is per-capita personal income. Specifically, the benchmark goal of Visioneering is "Stop the 21-year decline of Wichita per capita income as a percentage of U.S. per capita income before 2011. By 2024 exceed…