Tag: Wichita city government
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YMCA – Wichita conflict of interest
A local non-profit organization, held in high esteem, seeks to purchase property owned by the City of Wichita. So what’s the problem?
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Articles of Interest
American exceptionalism, longer school days, landfill violations, Kansas vs. Missouri, open government.
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Kansas Smoking Ban Conflicts Wichita’s
Here’s a letter the Wichita Eagle printed from Wichita businessman Craig Gabel. There are many reasons to oppose more smoking bans. The posts Testimony Opposing Kansas Smoking Ban, Haze Surrounds Wichita Smoking Ban, Property Rights Should Control Kansas Smoking Decisions, and It?s Not the Same as Pee In the Swimming Pool supply some background. The…
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KenMar Shopping Center, Funded by Righteousness
Can the Lord’s work be funded by taxation? If you’re Reverend Kevass Harding, the answer is sure, why not? He might even think it’s his calling. Never mind that at its fundamental level, taxation takes money from one person against their will and gives it to another.
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Wichita election watch parties
There isn’t a whole lot of interest in today’s primary elections in Wichita. None of the school board races had enough candidates to require a primary. Two of the three city council races did, but probably the only district where’s there’s any doubt as to the outcome (at least as far as who will advance…
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Wichita Eagle’s GWEDC board membership in perspective
What is the role in public affairs of a newspaper like the Wichita Eagle? Can it wear more than one hat — making news as well as covering it? This is not a hypothetical question.
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Articles of Interest
Kansas Senate scraps higher fines for speeders along perilous roads (Jeanine Koranda, Wichita Eagle). In a defeat for Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, the Kansas senate decides to skip his plan for higher traffic fines along Wichita’s main east-west highway. Perhaps he’ll do better with entertainment zones. Upside-Down Economics (Michael Kinsley, Washington Post). In this column,…
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Proposition K and TIF Districts Collide
A recent story in the Wichita Eagle by Dion Lefler (Tax plan could leave city with TIF debt) illustrates the some of the problems that can happen with complex economic development efforts. The problem in this case lies in the interaction of Proposition K, an effort to reform property tax appraisals in Kansas, and tax…
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In Wichita, let’s have economic development for all
There’s probably little doubt that offering incentives to companies to move to Wichita results in some that do. And, as we’ve seen, some Wichita companies are adept at inciting rumors they might move or locate new facilities somewhere else in order to gain some advantage or incentive from local or state (or sometimes both) government.
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Can Wichita government investment create jobs?
Recently the president of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition wrote an op-ed that engaged in a large measure of self-congratulation, while at the same time asking for even more resources. (Vicki Pratt Gerbino: Invest in recruiting, preserving area jobs, February 15, 2009 Wichita Eagle) We need to examine whether activities of groups like the…
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Wichita Center City TIF Missed Linkage Between “Unrelated” Developers
A missed linkage between developers involved in a Wichita tax increment financing (TIF) project means progress should be stopped until all facts are known. In July, 2007, the City of Wichita considered a development plan (the Center City South Redevelopment District) for a tax increment financing (TIF) district in downtown Wichita. The beneficiary of the…
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Wichita Residential Property Tax Relief Requested
Following are remarks that Wichita businessman Craig Gabel delivered to the February 10, 2009 meeting of the Wichita city council. I think Gabel’s idea has some merit. One thing I don’t quite understand is his proposal for “a credit on each residential property owners’ tax statement.” I will ask him for clarification as to how…