Mayor Mark Funkhouser- due to the city's stressful financial situation- wants to discontinue the $2-million annual taxpayer subsidy to the Truman Sports Complex where our corporate pro sports teams play their games.
It's said that this taxpayer subsidy is a "gentleman's agreement-" no written one- between the city and the owner of the sports stadiums- Jackson County (us).
Not surprising yet incredibly- most of the KC-MO City Council disagrees with Mayor Funkhouser's opinion on this subsidy.
It makes me have to ask- who does these Councilpeople work for- the citizens of this city or the owners of these corporate sports teams?
We- The Citizens- are faced with tremendous increases in water and sewer bills as well as other rises in utilities- food and fuel.
They- The City- have already laid-off employees and cut city programs and services- not to mention facing possible further cuts in revenue with the upcoming vote on the city's Earnings Tax.
Plus- tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer welfare already go to subsidize corporate interests in this town- the Power & Light and Jazz Districts and J.E. Dunn Construction Company to name just a few.
Like the stadium subsidies (welfare)- none of those monies goes to basic city infrastructure or services.
So the Mayor is right in making cuts in this taxpayer-provided corporate welfare where he can and the stadium subsidy is a good start.
Any and all of these Councilpeople who oppose the Mayor in this regard are wrong and we- the voters- should tell them so via the upcoming city elections.
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1 comment:
Good point and very well put. To bad will fall on death ears.
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