Jackson County threatens TIF lawsuit if demands are not met

"Currently, commission members not appointed by the mayor are often restricted to voting only for creation of a TIF."

City Debts - PIED and IDA

From 1999 to 2007 increased by 3570%

City Debts- Other Bonds

From 1999 to 2007 increased by 4060%

http://www.kcmo.org/finance/cafr08/47debt.pdf

in order to protect the taxpayers, especially the people of KC who seem to get ripped off continuously by petty politicians and special interests. Decent people will be there to support you Sanders so go get the bad apples that continuously are financially raping the people. This action has been needed for eons.

Joe Gonzales says:

"The TIF Commission has attempted to discuss the difference of opinion, Gonzales said."

The facts say differently. With the 43rd & Main TIF, this year the TIF staff said they could not account for the monies in the 43rd and Main TIF special allocation fund.

The TIF began in 1993/4.

TIF staff has had, what, 14 or so years to get it right? And when the county asked for the accounting of the funds, not only did TIF staff say they couldn't account for the money, but if the county wanted that information they would have to file a sunshine request.

They said that to a taxing jurisdiction and sitting member of the TIF Commission.

That doesn't sound like a team-oriented approach to me.

And recent revelations concerning TIF finances also indicate, once again, Kaczmarek is asleep at the wheel.

Who's minding the store at the EDC?

Cookingham, Junior

Joe Gonzales is a pretty funny guy. Not very original, but very funny. When County Exec Mike Sanders makes a few good recommendations to improve the TIF process, Gonzales trots out that lame dodge about someone trying to takeover his playhouse. Good grief. Cookingham is right on the money. The history of TIF in this city is loaded with blemishes. Anything that shines light on the process, makes it more accountable to the taxpayer, and allows us to get more for our tax dollar is a good thing. Does the TIF Commission have something to hide?

I repeat, for those that have not noticed, the gratuitous incentive- granting process that City council and the City Manager have operated for the last 8 years, is a money diverting scheme by selfish schemers. Mayor Funkhouser has shown us how to get out of this hole dug deep by Wayne Cauthen, the Council, and ex-mayor Barnes. When he does lead us to a real changing point, he is attacked for "anything and everything".

The money grubbers, and their henchmen ARE the reason Kansas City is suffering right now. These hogs, feeding at the TIF trough, have stolen the money that would go to health services, police, fire, and infrastructure needs.... They get their big condo in Colorado, -we get ----.

Let's keep in mind WHY we are in global recession; - unrestrained greed. Let's also keep in mind how Wayne Cauthen, the Council, and ex-mayor Barnes all bent over to help TIF pigs locally. The "forces of evil" , to paraphrase Mayor Funkhouser, are right here: in River City.

Please support Mayor Funkhouser in his effort to "turn the ship around".

Bill Drummond, the glass etcher guy, your friend from the Crossroads

kcolddog

Mr. Gonzales says that Jackson County is trying to take over TIF system. Not a bad idea given the TIF Commission's and the City's leadership thus far. At least Sanders has proven he can get his ship in good financial shape with a more honest approach. The TIF system is broken and costing taxpayers money. I wish the County and School Districts good luck. They deserve their money. Just one old dogs opinion.

Bill D. - I agree with most of what you say, except for the part about Funkhouser leading us. Unfortunately, if our mayor's leadership skills were examined by a doctor, they'd be taken immediately to the ICU and put on life support. I think the guy has good intentions. But he he refuses to take the Gloria "millstone" off from around his neck, and he has no clue about how to be a successful mayor.

As a fellow "thin man", let me say agreed and disagreed!

Mayor Funkhouser, it is true does not hold with the old "political wisdom".. He does think that the truth, and those that walk with truth, will win out. In this specific situation, Mayor Funkhouser lead our city out of a bad situation by conveening a citizen advisory board, ( 2 years ago ! ), to suggest remedy to the unregulated gratuitous granting by City Council of "development incentives". Bluntly said by Funkhouser: "WE have maxed out our credit cards".

When the citizen advisory board returned it's suggestions, the new City Council , ( this council ! ) adopted it completely as the lawful guide to how development incentives should be administrated and granted.

Recently, with the Council approving the Wayne Cauthen budget, one of the key provisions of this development incentive resolution has been destroyed: That being the City Finance Division review of development incentives being considered. This single destruction of taxpayer oversight now puts us back towards the "bad 'ol days" of back room deals made by politicians. In other words- the behavior that Mayor Funkhouser does not want to engage in... practicing the old "effective political wisdom". I think he, like us sees the "old wisdom" as the reason that we are in the big mess that we are in right now.

Mayor Funkhouser is honest, open, and forthright. He does not suffer fools. And he has already done what you have said is wanting: He has been a good leader. With our support he will continue to be a good leader.

Bill Drummond, the glass etcher guy, your friend from the Crossroads

Sanders was not led by Funkhouser to the conclusion that TIF needed reform. Many people other than our current Mayor have put considerable time and effort into concluding there are problems with TIF, and what to do about those problems.

The difference here is that Sanders is causing the change, in spite of the current Mayor.

To say the mayor is ineffective is a gross understatement.

The best characterization of Funkhouser's strategy at this point is: "If you are getting chased out of town, act like you're leading a parade."

Let us make no mistake about this, Sanders is leading here.

Cookingham, Junior

Mike Sanders is pushing from a political position, not a legal basis. The State statute is very clear about who is on a TIF Commission and when. It is very clear that the taxing jurisdiction representatives are only members of a TIF Commission during the consideration of a new TIF Plan or an Plan Amendment. Period. Mike Sanders is wasting Jackson County taxpayers' money by trying to bully the City of Kansas City into allowing something that is clearly contradictory to existing law.