CSW Commentary: The Incredible Illogic of KC-MO City Financial Priorities

If your household is undergoing a financial strain- you're probably going to make a cut in fun and games to provide the necessities.




The reverse seems to be the case in a "proposed" city budget presented in a letter to city pollys by KC-MO City Manager Troy Schulte...




In Mr. Schulte's world- taxpayer monies would be forthcoming to the playpens at the Truman Sports Complex and a professional baseball game- but cuts would be made to the fire and police departments as well as other existing city services.

Talk about misplaced priorities!

Here are some cuts Schulte proposes:


Fire department- Loss of 105 positions-


Police department- Loss of 22 positions-


Budget for city street repairs and improvements slashed $5-million-


The spring leaf and brush pickup would be eliminated.




Things Schulte wouldn't cut:


The $2-million annual subsidy to the Truman Sports Complex-


A quarter of a million dollars for proposed police overtime for the All Star baseball game.




Rate and tax increases Schulte proposes:


Water and sewer rates-


A 2-percent utility tax on electrical, telephone and gas bills.

Note too that there is NO mention in this letter about cutting corporate welfare- tax incentives- TIFs- what ever names are given to it.




Government budget thinking is getting more and more bizarre by the day- the (Republicrat) governor of Kansas wants to raise taxes on the poor and cut taxes on the rich- and Missouri's (Demoblican) governor wants to slash education by $90-million.


However like here in Kansas City- there is NO talk of slashing corporate welfare (i.e. tax breaks- etc).




Americans apparently will stand for nothing and fall for anything come election time too- and elect or re-elect these two parties of "The 1-percent."