Rare Weather Event In The Kansas City Metro Today

The scattered showers and thundershowers moving through the Metro this afternoon isn't the event- rather the direction from which the precipitation will be moving.

Northeast to southwest.

That's rare in that almost 99% of our weather moves IN from a western quadrant.

No severe weather BTW. Enjoy the air conditioner/energy-saving temperatures too.

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South-Midtown KC-MO Is NOT The "East Side"

Someone should clue-in The KANSAS CITY BUSINESS JOURNAL regarding their story on the latest Tax Increment Financing (TIF) project around 63rd Street and Prospect.

The reporter should have consulted a map. Prospect- the 2600 block East- runs north-south through about the geographical center of KC-MO.

The "East Side" is generally along and east of Cleveland Avenue or the 3800 block East- from about Independence Avenue south to about the 4700 block.

If in doubt what part of KC-MO something is in- just write KC-MO and give a location.

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This Was The Week That Wuz

We started the week with * Russia invading the nation of Georgia. If there was any laughter at all- it came when Bush dressed-down the Russians for "invading a sovereign nation."

At least Bush knows EXACTLY what that is...

Then came word that * corporations pay little or no taxes in America. This allows them to buy political candidates more freely.

Vote more taxes on yourselves America...

Ah yes- corporations- such as Big Oil. * The price of a barrel of oil has dropped more than $30 off their record highs more than a month ago.

Corporate Big Oil drops gasoline prices 30 to 40-cents- a penny or so a day since the price of oil dropped.

The * Olympics started with American commentators serving as public relations people for China.

China is Communist- they don't treat their OWN people worth a damn and they're trying to kill the rest of us with unsafe and/or unhealthy products.

Wave that (Made in China) flag America!

The * Supreme Court seems to think hiring for political purposes is okay. The tar won't show up on these judges' black robes- maybe the feathers and rail will bring the message from the American people home to them...

Last but not least- * The Worst President in My Lifetime wants to gut the Endangered Species act.

It's really- REALLY a shame the species known as George W. Bush won't become extinct now.

Hey no problem. Vote in ANOTHER Republicrat for President come November and blame the Demoblicans for all our ills anyway.

Bring your own smoke & mirrors.

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My "Seymour" Suggestion For The KC-ATA

If you think the ATA's new "mascot" of a frog named Seymour is lame- I offer up a FAR more attractive "Seymour" for consideration:

Cucaracha!

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Crime Stats Make Inner-City Investments Risky

In an attempt to bolster an area in a steep downglide- KC-MO elected officials are about to approve what is called a "risky" TIF plan for the area around 63rd Street & Prospect called Citadel Plaza- according to THE KANSAS CITY STAR.
Among items in this project are new housing and a new grocery store.

Forty years ago- the southwest corner of 63rd Street and Prospect held a grocery store (Milgrams) and a drug store (Katz-Skaggs). Not 6 blocks west- the then-new Metro Plaza shopping center had not only another grocery store and drug store- but a multi-screen movie theater

Earlier this week- the STAR ran an article about new homes built in the Blue Hills area (refer to Google Map) east of Paseo and north of 63rd Street. Those houses remain unsold and unoccupied.

The big ugly pig in this area is crime. Look at the KC STAR's homicide map. That's just the folks that actually got murdered. The map doesn't pinpoint lesser crimes.

The KC-MO Police's Metro patrol division station is located on 63rd Street between Blue Hills and the proposed Citadel Plaza project. That station is supposed to be rebuilt- elsewhere- unfortunately for this project.

The city helped finance the new- unsold/unoccupied homes in Blue Hills. So is this new TIF project- Citadel Plaza- any more viable?

In September 2007- the former city finance director "ABRUPTLY RESIGNED" her post- partly- THE KANSAS CITY STAR reports in a Thursday morning article in the Business section- "because of her concerns about the city's financial risk associated with the Citadel Plaza proposal.

Should this resignation be a warning signal? Something about that project HAS to be pretty screwed up if a person is willing to give up a well-paying job over it.

Does this area need help? Indeed it does. HOWEVER...

More and more properties in this city are being removed from the property tax rolls due to tax incentives. There's an increasing number of those properties that need ADDITIONAL taxpayer assistance on top of TIFs.

Before long- the rest of us will NEED a TIF designation for relief from the REST of the city getting a property tax bye.

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If Retailers Worried Now- Wait Until Christmas

It's reported that sales in America dropped one-tenth of one percent in June.

No surprise there as jobs disappear and prices and taxes rise.

What WILL be a shocker to Corporate America is the coming Christmas.
By that time- virtually everybody should be maxed-out by inflation.

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Arkansas Town Under A 24-Hour Curfew

According to the Associated Press- the eastern Arkansas town of Helena-West Helena has had a 24-hour curfew in place.
The disaster? Crime....

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More Corporate Control Of Kansas City (Public) Streets

Fresh on the last incident reported here and other places regarding bans issued on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza comes yet another one.

The latest ban- brought to our attention by BLOG KC- involves a reportedly "legal" street perfomer. That performer also happens to be handicapped.

This Highhorse (Highwoods) Properties corporation ban includes city streets and sidewalks in the Plaza district- according to the original story as reported in the KANSAS CITY STREET ART blog.

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If You Love How Bush Handles Russia Vs. Georgia- Vote Mc Cain

The President With No Discernible Foreign Policy has told Russia "Russia has invaded a sovereign- state. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century."

Oh really.

The Georgian president asked their ally- America- for troops. Hope he doesn't hold his breath.

What a bad- BAD joke America's foreign policy is under this Administration.

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Isaac Hayes Dead At 65

Isaac Hayes- Mister Cool-The Man.

He wrote and performed an era's anthem- the Theme from "Shaft."

Mr. Hayes has passed away.

No wonder the world felt different when I woke up today.

RIP Gandy!

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The Earth Rotates - So Does Terminology

Back when the world was younger than today- you were a conservative (conserve- get it?) if you didn't agree with drilling for oil off the American shores.

Now- those of us who actually GET IT and still oppose off-shore- willy-nilly oil drilling are called liberals.

Damn- you can't make these greedy- self-centered assholes happy no matter what side you are on- so I've changed my stance.

Everywhere anything of beauty exists in America- drop an oil well right there.

Cucaracha!

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