In the worst economic period of many of our lifetimes- the City of KC-MO elected officials STILL talk of building a 1000 room convention hotel downtown.
According to a story in today's (Friday) KANSAS CITY STAR- the City would be "part owner" of such a project.
My view on why this is a BAD idea is just look around at all the failing city infrastructure.
It is well documented how the City has put off or "deferred" maintenance on many of it's properties for many years now.
Example: a recent water leak in the Mayor's office on the 29th floor of city hall. Did the problem result in deferred maintenance and just how many thousands of dollars will THAT cost to repair?
Also- I'll try my damnest not to mention the City's debt load right now- which our elected officials seem to conveniently overlook.
Why the HELL didn't city officials think of a new convention hotel when Bartle Hall was expanded and when the economy was in MUCH better shape to finance it?
The City has too many OTHER needs right now- and there's still a $20-plus-million handout the developers at 63rd Street and Prospect (Citadel Plaza) are waiting in line for.
New jobs they say? Any new jobs created by a new hotel would predominately be low-paying service jobs. Service jobs- what America is becoming known for and barely enough to support the worker- let alone any family they might have.
This project should be shelved until the economy improves significantly and until City infrastructure responsibilities are fully funded and repaired and elected officials pushing this project SHOULD be drug-tested!
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