The Little Guy with the Hammer
The Mayor and five members of the Raytown Board of Aldermen (Schlapia, Hamilton, Riehle, Creamer, Ertz) have sponsored a bill to replace the city’s logo with a new design. Most people will not get too excited about that event one way or another. But the way they are going about it – and what they have designed to replace the black smith pounding an anvil with his hammer leaves a lot to be desired.
To be fair, the readers should know that I am partial on this debate. I like the little guy with the hammer logo. It speaks to a small part of history in Raytown that harkens back to the days of the Santa Fe Trail and a blacksmith shop owned by a man named William Ray. The location of that shop is commemorated by a plaque located at 63rd Street and Old Raytown Road, the geographic center of what is now Downtown Raytown. It is also at the center of the city when it was first incorporated. (Raytown annexed additional land in later years to reach its current size)
True, the logo is old fashioned and it could use some updating. But what the sponsors of the bill have endorsed is a step in the wrong direction.
The new design looks dated. It is typical of artwork done in the 1990’s that followed the corporate lead of the Nike swoosh developed to sell tennis shoes. It does not address anything about Raytown.
The new design is as bland as white toast and sends a negative message. It literally screams that Raytown is ashamed of what it is by ignoring the area’s rich history. Raytown is so much more than a suburb of strip malls. We should brag about our past, not hide it.
The Raytown area is rich with history. The Santa Fe Trail ran like a spider web through present day Raytown.
The area also played an integral part in our nation’s civil war. The Battle of Westport, which was the high water mark for the southern forces in Missouri, was literally fought on Raytown’s western boundary. The hilly area just east of Raytown was used as a base by rebel bushwhackers. In fact, four unmarked gravesites of rebel irregulars have been found on property just east of Raytown.
Between these two forces of north and south, people lived in present day Raytown. In an effort to repel outlawed rebel sympathizers an executive order was issued by a Union general empowering forces under him to seize property owned by Raytown area residents. Soldiers forcefully removed the property owners from their land. Private cemeteries in the area date back to those historic times.
The people of Raytown deserve a logo that welds the past to the present. What has been offered looks more like something to be used as a corporate symbol devoid any heart or soul without any connection to our community.
Comments
For the last eight years City Hall has been trying to move this town away from the working man and family. Trying to eliminate what I call dirty businesses. In other words any business that a person could get their hands dirty. Garages, mechanics, truck drivers and so on. After all Lee's Summit, Lakewood and Leawood already have.
And you know we are "just like those cities."
Or at the least they want-a-be.
The Blog has nuts who are actually arguing over which coffee shop is the most outstanding. If that's all this town can bring on, we are near the end.
Pat Casady is right. The Raytown Plaza owner is trying to market the place and you ain't gonna see any thing in that pit.
Guess Burnt Ends, Bob Phillips was wrong a few months ago, when he wrote column after column extolling the enthusiasm and virtue of the fellow from out West who brought the plaza.
The problem in Raytown is very basic. The place will NEVER have any shopping, retail or entertainment or anything else because the residents have never faced the truth.
Here's what I am speaking of, any honest individual will admit it:
Since the days of Marion Beeler as chief of police the town has literally existed to fund a police department twice the size it should be; We have lied to ourselves for decades about how our schools are the "second best" in the metro area when they, in fact, quite poor.
Raytown is being controlled by RRFT, which consists of a tight knit band of misfits who hate anyone who has the sembelance of a brain.
Nothing will happen in this town until we start facing the facts. All the talking in the world about coffee shops, Walmart, etc. is not going to change things.
Look at the Baptist Church building. There is not one person at city hall who will ever talk about it.
The way the entire Baptist Church transaction was handled is a disgrace. I would rather like to believe someone got a kick-back for this waste of tax dollars. It galls me to believe an entire council and mayor could be so stupid. So, please, someone tell me there was "under the table" money involved. I can't take it hearing those economic fools trying to make us believe they paid half a million dollars for a deserted building.
Then to turn it over to a city department for interior destruction is a bit too much.
Please, please tell me someone was "taken care" of on the transaction.
By the way, does anyone know how to get into the building.
NOW THE GOOD NEWS
I just came from a variance hearing at Planning and Zoning. They approved a variance for Hi-Vee to enlarge and occupy the vacant Schnooks at Gregory & 350 HWY. That is one sane thing that has happened in the 7 years I have been forced to live here. That shopping center was a blighted eyesore. Now it will be put to use generating property taxes as well as sales taxes. I am sure it it will be a convenience to those travelling 350 HWY for whatever reason to stop and pick up some groceries and maybe garb a bite at Applebee's, Churchs, or HiVee deli on the same stop.
Was there a resolution as to an official coffee shop? I missed that one. I think a city official can express an opinion (as an ordinary citizen), as long as it is not expressed as representing city preference or policy. If a city employee personally prefers or doesn't prefer a particular place of business, what is wrong with that? It is his/her personal preference unless it is expressed as city policy, in a city publication, on a city letterhead. If he/she simply says, "Bennetti's has great coffee," I or anyone else could have said the same thing without an uproar.
As to the Salamander's question, I think the obvious entry way to the church is through a broken window, but I think an inspection could be requested from a city official under the freedom of information act since this is public property.
Also Salamander, a city department cannot clean up the interior legally. My understanding is that asbestos is involved and that requires a crew trained on that type of hazardous material along with special equipment. If anyone observes a city crew doing a clean up inside that building, OSHA and EPA should be notified immediately unless the crew has proper training and equipment. Also, I would not enter that building without wearing protective gear!
Tonight is one of the few times I have seen a good decision made and it didn't involve the Board of Alderpeople! Maybe if the Board of Alderpeople didn't focus on the trivial, they could deal with important issues. But, maybe it is a good idea to keep the peoples minds focused on trivia. Good thinking but not all of us are complete fools!
Someone probably wants to know what I don't complain about? The Police Department, Fire Department, and EMS are well managed and all provide excellent service in a very professional manner. I have had occassion to interact or witness the actions of all 3 of these departments. Actually, a few years ago, I was thinking of running for town marshall but didn't because I couldn't think of anything I would change except to request higher salaries for the staff.
Andy Whiteman
It seems our city inspectors are up to their old tricks again. Actually they probably never stopped.
Just like when my friend was trying to rebuild the old car wash on the traffic way,
they are making up rules as they go along. That's why we have FEW NEW SMALL BUSINESSES coming to Raytown.
Along with using the standard building codes, our inspectors make up their own codes.
Here is a short list of how people are treated when trying to open a business in Raytown:
They are told they can't even put in a phone without permission.
They are told what color to paint their buildings.
What color to have their garage doors.
How many trees to have on their lots.
How many lights on the property.
Install curbs where none have ever been.
Resurface driveways to make them look better. (not structural)
In one case told to stucco the building when the rules didn't include this area.
What signs to use and where to install them, even though the Chamber sign is on a dangerous view blocking corner, anybody else tried this they would be in trouble.
If you want to install a window you have to pay an architect to draw it up.
Install a sink where one had been before....hire an architect.
This city even tells you what front you have to put on your building, but not before you hire an expensive architect.
There are many, many more examples of bullying entrepreneurs.
Most give up and move on to another city or town as you can tell by all the empty buildings in Raytown.
Very little of the above has to do with safety or real codes but costs the prospective business owner too much money to move forward.
Most are made up as they go along and most are to show who is boss.
Someone mentioned how the Post's Burnt Ends wrote column after column about the plaza. I wonder why they don't write about how people are treated when they try to open a business in Raytown and why the Plaza is is no longer.
This is why the Raytown Plaza's owner put it back up for sale.
How sad this is. I had two friends that wanted to open businesses there too.
Time after time this city has shown they don't want any new businesses in the downtown area. It's as if Curt never left, and they are waiting for the all mighty
Wal-Mart to open.
Yesterday one of my friends who has lived in Raytown all of his life and liked it here told me that he would be moving because of the way the city is run.
My reason for wanting to move is not the way the city is run. I can't afford to make such an expensive decision on that issue. My main reason is that I was forced to move here for a job. Mainly the climate is too miserable for human habitation. Utility prices are too high to heat or cool my house. But that is not the city's fault except for maybe the franchise tax on utilities. This heat wave should sure help out the budget! I read in the Post that the warm weather hurt the budget due to lower franchise tax collections.
Now back to the subject. As far as home owners are concerned, City inspectors do not make determinations based on ordinance. I have an issue with the code department. The ordinance is not specific and clearly written so the inspector "used his own judgement." I feel his judgement was very poor and an abuse of power. I filed an appeal and was told to file a variance request which I did. My request was denied which I may appeal because what the city wants is a safety hazard and creats violation of another ordinance. I applaud the way the HyVee variance was approved but I feel discriminated against because I am disabled and cannot afford a high priced attorney to represent me as can a big business.
Maybe new businesses should appeal wrongful decisions by code "officers." Obviously for a business, it isn't worth the expense so it is cheaper to loacte in a city that wants them.
The city recently posted legal notices to hire codes enforcement officers. The pay is not even a living wage. How can it be expected that someone making less than $15 an hour to make a judgement based on how the code is written verses how they think it should be written?
Maybe the ordinances need to be rewritten in an explicit manner so nothing is left open to individual judgement! I know Albuquerque, NM has ordinances regarding exterior lighting, as do other cities, due to quality of life issues of not being able to see the stars.
Maybe the Alderpeople (remember it is not Aldermen because women are also on the board) need to dump the pursuit of trivial issues such as the logo and focus on important issues such as rewriting ordinances that are left to someone's judgement. I did mention it at a meeting that many ordinances were poorly written and a revue of the ordinances was in order.
Msybe the city should post a notice, "NEW BUSINESSES WECOME BUT ONLY IF YOUR GROSS YEARLY REVENUE EXCEEDS $1M!" and "NEW HOME OWNERS WANTED BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT CONTROL LIKE LEES SUMMIT OR OVERLAND PARK AND HAVE ENOUGHT MONEY TO AFFORD THAT LIFESTYLE AND REQUIREMENTS THEREOF"
Andy Whiteman
It's my understanding (from someone who should know) that the interior is full of mold and other problems.
Theives, allegedly, stripped the place pretty well of anything valuable. And I even heard there was --- early-on --- an open door policy to take whatever you wanted just to get rid of the junk.
But, again...everything one hears is second-hand and gets compounded like the kids' game "gossip" when what is passed around the circle is 100% different than what was first said.
If the city had any sense, its officials would walk thru the place and then produce an honest report and video of the real situation.
Lee Gray
Who city officials endorse off the clock is not my concern. Who they promote while being paid by my tax dollars is.
If we do give the kids a chance the city should give them some guidelines and have a contest. Let the public vote on their choice for the logo not the city council. The city could give winner the money for their college or their art dept. which ever they want. This logo they are trying to push on us was done by a company in Flordia on the computor without much imagation. It was the same company that did the same logo for the funeral home.
How do I know all this? I was on the BOA when this first came up and now they are bring it back again because they think this new board will accept what the other one would not. I would like to say thanks not only to Mr. Walters but also Mrs. Fleming for having the courage to say it looks terrible. It did then and it does now.
Sandy Hartwell
Actually, few people know what a blacksmith is or what a hammer and anvil are. In addition to the logo a line of explanation is required so people know what it is. Or perhaps the front of a blacksmith's shop labeled "William Ray, Blacksmith."
I also agree turning it over to the Art Department would be a good idea. The reward to the winner could be in the form of a scholarship to be paid to an accredited instution, 739 Plan, or as a US Savings Bond in the event the person elected not to pursue a higher education.
On second thought, why limit it to the Art Department. What about the History Department also? They may do a little research and come up with an entirely different logo that is relevant to Raytown's heritage.
Actually why not open it to all with the requirement that the submitted logo depict something that obviously relates to Raytown's history without need for description and also be unique to Raytown. There are numerous possibilities such as the Santa Fe Trail, underground Railroad, etc. OK, Santa Fe trail is not unique to Raytown, but something unique to Raytown on the Santa Fe Trail would qualify. A small script title could identify the image. As I said, I doubt that many people would recognize an anvil.
Andy Whiteman
I was wondering that myself. The Alderpeople will have the make that decision.
I also wonder how the people will vote? Will it be an election or mail in ballot. Whatever method will be costly.
While I agree with Ms. Hartwell's point on the logo, I think trivial issues such as the logo should be tabled and the time spent on issues of importance. Why whould be wasting much time discussing logos when there are many items of importance that need to be addressed?
Andy Whiteman
Anybody could have designed the new logo if they have half a brain and clip art in their computer.
I have a program for business cards and one of the designs is almost a perfect match to the expensive new logo design.
However I agree with some of you saying the logo shouldn't be a priority for Raytown.
If the city doesn't change the way it treats most of the people and businesses, the logo might just be a headstone.
Verbiage Andy spilled out about violations if the cit went in and cleaned up the building is misleading. It is nothing but an excuse for the city to not do its job.
The point aside, what I am interested in is if someone out there can tell me how the total ruination of a very functional building came out.
We do know this. When the Baptists were using the Church it was clean, every utility functioning and in excellent operational condition.
Lo and behold! The city gets hold of the place for a mere half million(forget the change.) Next thing we have is a destroyed building. No one can tell us who authorized this destruction.
Was it the mayor? Was it the city administrator? Was it perhaps the police department. Someone had to okay using the interior of the building for paint ball fights, dog training, parties, etc. That someone should have to pay the bill.
If Andy is right in his contention that the building is in such bad condition he would not enter it without proper training and the equipment, how long will it be until this contamination he speaks of seeping out and polluting the entire area.
Let's forget about which coffee shop is the best. Let's concentrate on the important matters. For the half million the city spent buying the church you could set up more coffee shops than there are java drinkers in the town.
We have recently allowed new group homes to open in our neighborhoods, buildings to stand vacant and be vandalized, the plaza to be bought and sold time again and those tenants that are there are ready to move...but can they meet the code standards!!!
What is wrong with this community. At this point in time who give a sh** about a logo. My own daughter is calling this area "trashy" now and won't even consider looking for a home in this area.
Come on Raytown..let's stand up and fight for our town.
Kathy M
But can't find anything wrong with what you have to say. Just heard Mayor Bowar say on rebroadcast:"Well it appears all the fight has gone out of all our aldermen" in regards a vote on the 17th item. Walters, at least, questioned new public works director taking an out-of-town travel course. Schaplia, however, is pushing the issue for his professional license.
Oh, blah-de-oh-bla-da, life goes on! Ain't this fun????
Bowar is pushing the "in=coming president" of the national organization and how we should all be "proud of that." I certainly am! NOT!
Maybe we could retroactively once again spend Andy McCown to Canada...eh?
Funny comment about Kathy M (is that our Miss Mack?) talking about her kid not wanting to comeback to/stay in Raytown.
I know local kids who go away to college and when told where they're coming from the comment is: "You went to Ghetto High?"
That's not about race...but reputation.
True Blue...you should sell your property here. So should we all!
I have observed the Independence Police Dept. conducting some kind of training inside using a portable generator for lighting. I don't know what they were doing, but was glad to see the building put to use. (That was a few years ago.)
I am not making an excuse for the city not to do its job of clean up. My point is they need to hire a company trained in this type of hazmat clean up. Salamander, you should have been at P&Z Thursday. I sure made an issue that I should not have to be in compliance until the city comes into compliance with the church.
What happened to the church? First vandalism. More and more windows were broken out. Next lack of maintenance. Maybe they should have put a fence around the building to keep people away.
What an abuse of taxpayers' money! The city spends $500K on this building, does nothing with it, and the alderpeople have nothing better to do other than argue over a city logo. Why not spend a few meetings addressing IMPORTANT issues?
As for voting on taxes, when voting each voter should think about who will pay these taxes and how much you will have to pay!
The only new truck I have heard about was an airconditioned truck for animal control 3 or 4 years ago. The only trucks I see on the road are animal control, road repair, and sewer TV. I don't watch specifically for city trucks, but If I am out or looking out my window, I happen to observe any vehicle that passes. I wasn't aware until I read the post that there were so many new trucks.
True Blue, I hate to tell you this but property values are down everywhere. I would like to move, mainly due to the bad climate we have here. If I could find a house, I would be gone in a year. (It will take me that long to pack.) My Realtor told me 4 years ago that the avarage time to sell a home in Raytown as 6 months. I don't know what it is now. Ms. White should be able to provide that information. I think it mainly depends on the quality of the house and if it is fairly priced.
Once I move, I will be gone and what happens in Raytown won't be my problem (unlike a few people I have read about.)
As I am typing this, I see the title: "The Little Guy with the Hammer" and wonder if the spirit of William Ray is annoyed at what is happening? HA HA
Andy Whiteman
I believe he started out with a yearly salary of around sixty five thousand and shortly, without even doing anything to earn it, it was up to over ninety thousand a year.
But that's not the whole story, he also brought some friends with him from Lee's Summit and talked the city leaders into paying them more than they were worth. The proof is in how well Raytown is doing so far.
He also talked the city into buying the old church, hired a company to come in and tell us how great Raytown could be, hired Dial Realty, then came R.E.D. Development that took Raytown taxpayers for over sixty thousand dollars. Add all this up and it's getting close to a million dollars wasted.
And "NOW" Raytown is having money problems?
But the sad thing is that the City is pushing the police department to cut back. Even though the crime rate in Raytown has risen and the police are now spread too thin the city wants them to cut officers and budget.
The police department is NOT the problem!
All this could be avoided if the the city would let new businesses in, instead of keeping them out. If the inspectors that make the rules up as they go along and the codes people (for business) would ease up a bit and only insist on safety codes being enforced, use the standard for all cities. Not make them up as they go along. Electrical contractors and plumbing contractors don't even want to work in Raytown anymore because of this.
But again these people think it is more important to show the prospective new small business owners who's boss, than to help them come to Raytown.
More businesses, more taxes collected. More taxes collected the city has less money problems. Folks this is a no brainer.
Run the city like a business, don't spend taxpayer dollars stupidly, welcome anyone that wants to open a new business in town and take care and treat the old businesses like you want them to stay.
Most importantly get rid of anyone that doesn't want to work with or help new business come to town.
That's how a city or town stays alive. You spend don't spend time running people and businesses out of town.
Wal-Mart at 6700 Blue Ridge looses over sixty thousand dollars a year.
That's right it walks out the door.
The Hyper-Mart at Bannister Mall lost over one million a year........walking out the door.
The new Independence Wal-Mart,well the figures aren't in yet but estimated to be huge.
Welcome to 350 hwy. and Raytown rd. Wal-Mart.
After all the people that stole...err shopped at Bannister Mall and 6700 Blue Ridge
will need a place to go.
When the new Walmart is open, the Alderpeople better budget to add to the staff of Police Officers since they have to respond to the calls. I still advocate opening a mini PD office in the store like KCPD had at Bannister. That would put officers on site with 0 response time as well as having a point of public contact.
Andy Whiteman
It's hysterical! Dan Estes spent 15 minutes talking about an "omission" and then Michael Miller tries to put another spin on it...until someone finally asks point blank what they mean.
"I made a mistake," said Estes.
No kidding! And they're talking about cutting overlay and other real citizen needs...How about cutting all those high priced clowns salaries?
Estes was probably too busy medling in the charter process to catch his "omission" as finance director.
As for me, hopefully next Spring/Summer I can sell my house without a loss (maybe then the market will be a little better) and get out of here. If a small group do as I this may be exactly what the 'leaders' downtown need to give them the backbone & sense of urgency to fix several things.
JWDT
You may need to take that gun to bed with you.
With all the high priced wisdom this town has hired the best way they could find to cut the budget is to reduce the police force.
That's the problem with some college education's...........they don't teach common sense. Plus I think it's an unwritten rule that with a degree no matter how bad you do your job or how much you damage the city or town you work for you won't be fired for incompetence. No, the first thing to go is the citizens protection, no matter if crime is on the rise, cut the police force back, but, keep the people that are causing the problems.
The spenders, wasters and the people that keep Raytown down.
City Administrator pay and compensation is over $120,000 and he takes out of town trips numberous times and has only been with the city for little over a year. What a waste of taxpayers dollars!!! Tim Truedales, he has got to go if the City wishes to move forward. Dan Estes, he has had his hands on every dealing this City has and he is surely as responsible for the fiscal calamity as anyone. He should go. City Clerk, Ms. Newton, a symbol of unprofessionalism as never seen before in the City Clerk's position. She certainly needs to go.
What will the City do? Attack the Police for the budget woughts and most likely lay off a few low paid employees to make it look like all the fat cats at City hall are working to save the citizens of Raytown money.
Mayor Bower, wake up and smell the coffee. Get rid of the overpaid City Administrator and other department heads that are not doing their jobs.
It's about time to rein in the spending in PD.
Good department, I'll agree, but everyone has to make budget cuts to survive.
All you armchair auditors are a RIOT!!!
Best laugh I've had in weeks.
I sure wish I could move but it is not as easy as people seem to think. First I have to find a decent house which I have tried to locate for 5 years. Almost impossible. Then the cost of a move is very expensive. I doubt that all those stating they will move will really do that because of the expense and difficulties of finding a house. People think it is simple, but even before I was disabled, it was very difficult for me.
By the way, I just spoke with my lender and they have stopped making loans until maybe next week. And the are NOT a subprime lender!
Andy Whiteman
Arm chair auditors, that's a good one. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH
However; it's not even a little funny when taxpayers dollars are being wasted and now the city is in a budget crunch.
Got any better ideals, other than name calling.
government whilehe was mayor of Raytown.
This meant that Mayor Jack, like all other Government employees, was working an average of 2.4 days a week. I would hardly call working 2.4 days a week beinga full time job. To top it off, like most government drones he did very little work.
Secondly...who's talking about raising taxes? I have not heard one person from the city's staff talking about a tax increase. It has come directly, and only, from some of the posters on this blog. Innuendo, falsification and dreams.
We have been very lucky in this town over the years financially. I have watched other municipalities in this metro area, and around the state, go through the same things over the last few years that Raytown faces now. I face it at home, you face it at home. The city needs to mind its p's and q's a little bit more, for probably the next few budget cycles, and things will be just fine.
To those calling for a state audit...when the Marr audit is available to anyone who wants information (according to the Finance meeting last Tuesday), why not start there first.
Until then, you all keep bitchin'...I'll keep laughing!
This person sounds like they either belong to a city organization or is an elected (or ex) official.
Which would explain the no suggestions.
Telling concerned citizens to keep bitchin' and they will keep laughing at them, is the attitude that gets nothing done.
You paint quite a picture.
They say, what a shame that they are considering changing the city logo.
It represents why we are called Raytown and the working people that built this town.
I told them that's the problem. It seems this town doesn't want hard working people
to live here. This town was built with blue collar working people, small stores and mom and pop shops. They don't want this. I think it takes too long to make tax revenue from small businesses and it's easier to install a big Wal-Mart.
Myself I like the logo just the way it is but if a change is needed I wish it wouldn't have the name of the "Yes" organization that Curt Wenson started. RRFT. These people did anything they were told to do by Wenson. Bought and paid for with a cup of coffee and a donut.
I wish I had the stones that Pat Casady has and put my real name out there, but retaliation by City hall is real if you say anything they don't like.
I've seen it, including character assassination, made-up code violations, etc.
But back to the subject of a State Audit.
Maybe Greg Walters can give insight into how to get a state audit process going and find out what is going on with the finances at City hall.
Seems we are always passing higher taxes and still remain in a budget crunch.
We know the City Administrator is overpaid and takes an abundance of out of town "business trip".
I watched a BOA meeting about a month ago and the City Administrator is going on ANOTHER out of town City paid for family vacation, oops I mean business trip for a week.
Thanks Mr. Miller, cut the PD budget and public safety, but be sure to keep your high salary and out of town travel in order.
AUDIT, AUDIT, AUDIT!!!!
What is a petition audit?
Under Missouri law, the state auditor may be called on to audit any political subdivision of the state (such as cities, school districts, water districts, etc.) if enough qualified voters of that political subdivision request her to audit. Here is what the law, Section 29.230.2, RSMo, says:
The state auditor shall audit any political subdivision of the state . . . if requested to do so by a petition signed by the requisite percent of the qualified voters of the political subdivision.... The political subdivision shall pay the actual cost of audit. The petition that requests an audit of a political subdivision shall state on its face the estimated cost of the audit and that it will be paid by the political subdivision being audited.... No political subdivision shall be audited by petition more than once in any three calendar or fiscal years.
How many signatures are required?
The law establishes a "sliding scale" based on the size of the last election for governor. A minimum number of signatures are required per category. The required number of signatures can be determined from the table below:
No. of Votes in Last
Election for Governor The Greater of
% Minimum
Below 1,000 25% of registered voters -----
1,000 to 4,999 15% of actual votes 200
5,000 to 49,999 10% of actual votes 750
50,000 or more 5% of actual votes 5,000
Who can sign the petition?
A signer must be a resident of the political subdivision and a registered voter at the time they sign the petition.
Does the petition have to be submitted on a special form?
State law requires the auditor to provide an estimate of the cost of the audit to be stated on the face of the petition. Such information is provided on a standard petition form to ensure compliance and provide consistency. We encourage all requests to be submitted on the standard petition forms to avoid problems and non-compliance with state law. All completed petition forms are to be sent to our office.e with state law.
The law says the petition must state the estimated cost of the audit.
"Reaching for tomorrow?" This has no meaning and is NOT unique at all and is stupid. Sounds like it is coppied from Disneyland or an exercise class! I liked the guy with the hammer, but no one even knows what a blacksmith is anymore! Still I think it should be relevant to Raytown's history. By the way, how do you reach for tomorrow? Sounds like you need a Back to the Future DeLorean! We are getting into science fiction here! What happened to TODAY? Why are we reaching for the impossible dream?
One of the anonymous writers has a good point about being anonymous. I could be anonymous too, but everyone would still know who it is. But my code harrassment dates prior to the beginnings of this blog? Why is it if I give my name and complain about a violation, nothing is done, but if an anonymous caller complains about me, it is enforced? That is discrimination! I know they are hoping I will move. (I was asked at a P&Z hearing if my home was on the market?. I wonder what business is is of theirs?) I wish I could move but it is not as simple as people seem to think.
Since the taxpayers have to pay for a State Audit, would it be worth the expense? That is obviously why Laughing All the Way was laughing. It seems to me that unless gross miss use of funds is uncovered, the audit is wasted money. If someone actually knows of facts of miss use, please so state and get a petition started. We may not agree with buying new trucks, etc.; but if the Board of Alderpeople approved it, it is an authorized expense.
Here is my suggestion:
1)The city needs to be run like a business and not a charity.
2)We all agree there is a problem, but may disagree as to exactly what the problem is.
3)We are all being side tracked by City Hall on trivial issues like City Logos! Just read through this string if you don't believe me. This side tracking keeps us off our primary focus.
A) Pat Casady should declare his business as his legal residence. (I had a friend who slept in his business.) Pat then could run for Alderman or Mayor.
B) Others who are writing here can run for election in their wards.
I won't run because I hope to be gone by the next election. Maybe I am reaching for tomorrow.
Andy Whiteman
However I think we can all help by organizing a group of business and property owners in the area.
As I've ask in the past if anyone is interested in attending to please let me know.
I think together we can come up with some constructive ideas for Raytown.
Elected officials are no different or smarter than the rest of us. We all want what's best for our town, they just happen to be elected to their posts. That doesn't make them any better than anybody else in town.
We can't sit around and wait for them to come up with all the ideas to make Raytown what we all know it can be.
In fact I think we have the advantage. We won't have a budget or positions to defend or justify. All we have to do is talk and try to come up with some ideas to help.
I have talked to several property owners and they are enthused about this but I feel we need more than a few to make this work.
Let me know if you are up for this by either calling me at 356-1590 or by posting on this blog.
This time he went after his all-time favorite target, Greg Walters and made fun of Jim Aziere to boot.
Burnt Brain wrote that he thinks Walters received a substantial amount of money from the trade unions. Golly Bob, is substantial bigger than a bread box?
Hey Burnt B, here is a thought for you. Why not try focusing on the issue for a change, like why the Uniform Plumbing Code is better for Raytown rather than the International Plumbing Code?
After all, Kansas City and Independence both use the Uninform Plumbing Code. Could it be because it is a better and safer code that requires a higher standard than the International Code?
The City Council sold out to powerful developer interests when they went with the International Code.
It's all about money. They can thrown up cheaper, less expensive houses and buildings that are not as clean or safe under the International Code.
About 25 years ago i went to work for a company that did not have the college requirement thank goodness because I was unable to go to college. It is not to say that no one had college degrees but not all. They took a chance on me and I was so good at what I did they fired the person who hired me and I stayed for another 15 years.
The hole point of this is that company decided to make college a requirement about 2 years before I retired and they found out they could not hire anyone who had any common sense and could not last on the job for more than 3 months. The difference in the kids coming out of college now is that, most but not all, have had everthing handed to them and never had to worked for anything they wanted. Most have a feeling of entitledment. I feel very sorry for most of them to have to growup at the age of 24-25 and find out what they should have known before they started to work at that age.
Common sense and street smarts are very great things to have in your profoilo and on your resume.
By the way, that company I spoke about closed in january of this year. I guess college did not work all that will for them.
Turnover of Raytown city hall employees is considerably less than that of the national average of employees of private businesses.
I have long been fascinated by those who live off the taxpayer. They bitch and complain incessantly about their "low-Paying
jobs. But when one of them is dis-charged or let go for any reason the first think they do is hire a
lawyer to see if they can get their miserable jobback.
This narscassant yammering of an untruth reminds meof when Ronal
Regan was president.
He fired the air traffic controllers when they illegaly struck against the Government.
Did the fired controllers leave and take it like a man and go to other jobs? Not on your life.
Despite the fact that the controllers had spent years claiming stress from their jobs caused them to become suididal, alcoholicvs and had ruined their marriages they fought like crazy to
get their jobs back.
I always felt the strikers owed Ronald Regan a debt of gratitude
for releasing them from their job
so they could live a more fulfilling job.
Regan fired those lawbreakers more than 25 years ago. Would you believe someof them are stilltrying to get their jobs back?
I would not worry about Raytown losing a few cops or chairwarmers at city hall. You couldn't drivbe most of them out of their jobs if
you used dynamite.
My mother wanted me to go to college. I never understood why because I had no career goals that required college.
My math 101 instructor was working on his PhD. He couldn't explain a problem so that anyone could understand it. One of my classmates said that the term for this type of person is "Intellectial Idiot." That is what I call those with college degrees but no common sense.
By the way, I wasted 1-1/2 years at UNM to keep my mother happy and then quit when I was offered a job.
Was it a college educated moron who suggested "reaching for Tomorrow?" I have a few things to say about that Tuesday night if I can get off this puter long enough to write my my comments in 34 font.
A wavy Reaching for Tomorrow and a couple of sperm trails!
As for an assistant princpal for each grade, I noticed that Albuquerque is doing it too. Must be something new. I wonder what their responsibilities are? Sponge off taxpayers and go to ball games?
As far as both the city and the school district, there are too many big salaried people and the actual workers are not paid enough. Both are top heavy. We don't need all of this dead wood. The budget could be cut simply by cutting the salaries of upper management, If they don't like it, the can find another job. Unfortunately, they probably have a contract, but when the contract expires, their pay can and should be cut!
Do not let the BOA vote on it or anyone who has been a part of Reaching for Tomorrow. Put together a group that is more diverse and one that was never appointed to anything by Mayor Frank.
By the way, I just read Mr. Casady's comments about putting together another group. You are right there are an awful lot of us who are just as smart and in most cases smarter than most of the members of the board. Just be careful your group does not fall into same yes mentality that Reaching For Tomorrow did and that all of us complain about now.
The group of people I would want to gather is for downtown business and property owners in the area to try and come up with ideas that we could submit to the city.
To help the whole city.
If it turns into a group that wants to try and control votes or tries to run the city I will back out in a flash.
There are two or three too many groups trying to run this city with very little helpful suggestions. They are only in it for what the city can do for them in return for their votes. That is not what we want or need.
Actually if this comes to be, I think anyone with constructive suggestions would be welcome.
And you do it hiding behind the anonymity of this blog!
It's too bad that you're never around to offer constructive criticism when citizens get together to try and tackle the issues facing us. Oh no, you can't have anything to do with that, can you?
It would blow your cover and the entire community would see who the negative, destructive, back-biting naysayers are...all 10 of you!
I swear, I do believe that if it were a 72 degree day, with no clouds in the sky and a light southerly breeze blowing, you all would complain because there were no clouds!
I really think that some of you posting on here are not happy unless you're complaining about something! It wouldn't make a bit of difference if things were exactly perfect...you'd find something wrong.
Now some of you will consider this post to be arrogant, mean-spirited, etc. Too bad! If you all can post the bilge you post, I can take you to task every chance I get. Remember what Harry Truman said about the heat in the kitchen!
Anyway...you all keep crabbing...
It's too bad that you're never around to offer constructive criticism when citizens get together to try and tackle the issues facing us. Oh no, you can't have anything to do with that, can you?
Doesn't he really mean the city organized and manipulated group of well-meaning citizens tackling issues they are told to tackle -- even to the point of how to tackle.
When they stray into real solutions to real problems they are quietly guided back to toe the line of those so well practiced by laughing all the way and his ilk.
Laughing all the way does not care for solutions offered by writers to the blog. They do not fit his vision of "well meaning citizens".
They are much too independent, not prone to be led around by the nose by those who prefer the controlled environment that people like him can thrive in.
I know you and your kind, laughing all the way, you do not want solutions, you want to maintain the status quo.
But more important to you is to remain hidden in a crowd, spewing your poison and hoping that others join you in your pretense that what you want is actually a solution.
People that accuse others of hiding behind anonymity should probably sue their parents or at the least have their name changed from "Laughing All The Way" to Tom, Dick, Harry or Bob.
Sorry I couldn't help myself.
You MUST be in office, or connected at City hall in some sort of fashion.
You seem most worried about what is on this blog, which is why you continue to slam us and what we discuss here.
We choose to remain anonymous, just as you do, unless Laughing all the way is your real name.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Once again you hurl your hateful name calling at us by calling us
"negative, destructive, back-biting naysayers".
You have a lot of hate in you, and that's not funny either.
Why don't you expose yourself with your true identity? Then we would see you for what you truly are.
Not a very nice person.
Pat...about needing a good nap. Sorry Pat, you're wwrong again...just like your earlier post about Mr. Jones having a "For Sale" sign up at the Raytown Plaza. It is "For Lease" for available store fronts in the Plaza. Too bad you couldn't watch the BOA meeting last night and hear Mr. Jones blow your post completely out of the water. Your half-truths and misinformation whittle away at what credibility you have in this community.
Anonymous...talk about conspiracy theory...working groups involving citizens being told how and what to think. Being lead to a predetermined outcome by City officials. Man, do you believe in Area 51 and black helicopters too?
I have seen no answers to the city's problems on this blog (except for Pat's call to business and property owners). All I read is constant whining by those who have done nothing to aid in the city's revival. I'd be willing to bet my bottom dollar that some of the posters on here contributed to the city's problems when they were part of the "in group" at city hall.
As far as calling you "hurtful names" like mean-spirited, negative and back-biting...if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...it's a duck! You all can spin as much as you'd like but the folks in this community see you as you are...DUCKS!!!
And as far as me slamming you all and what you write...you can dish it but you can't take it? Is that it? Is it perfectly OK for you to blast the Mayor, city staff, alderpersons and the general citizenry who do get involved, but we can't stand up and fire back at you without you feeling like you're being a whipping post? Or that I'm an "angry person" "full of hate" because I don't buy into your bilge and I call you on it?
That, anonymous and everyone else, is the ultimate form of hypocrisy.
To the other anonymous who takes me to task about "hiding in a crowd spewing poison" now THAT, my friend, is a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.
QUACK!!!
I was given some bad information and I'm sorry, I can change what I have been told.
But you "Laughing All The Way" have the attitude of a ........ and this will never change.
Kind of like, I may be fat but you're ugly,.........I can lose weight.
Chill out before you blow an O-ring.
You must feel very threatened by this discussion forum to spew out that kind of venom and hate.
I let my emotions carry me away, something I have always tried to control.
"Laughing All The Way" has the same right to write what he wants, I just wish he would get his facts right before he quotes me.
I wrote that (I'm told) the plaza was up for sale again.
My creditability is important to me as a person and a business owner that's why I don't mind signing my posts. I try to research what I write. I was told by no less than three reliable people that the plaza was for sale again and the reasoning behind it.
I guess we will see what happens in the future.
Again, I must say, I hope the plaza comes back in all its splendor and with all its spaces filled and thriving.
Raytown needs it and I hope the people will support it.
As for Laughing All The Way........I will take what you write with the intelligence in which it is written. Anybody got a grain of salt?
Phillips is to print what Mike Shanin is the broadcast in the KC area.
Keep those lips puckered!
Which should come as no surprise to anyone. Most of them won't listen or talk to any of us in the first place and most thumb their noses at us too.
With the exception of one or two, I think they are all "laughing" at us.
There is "A" new day coming and it's just around the corner.
There it is, right on this blog for all to see.
A discussion forum started to express concerns and discontent with the past and current administration, and already we are being attacked with name calling and ridiculed for our postings.
That, my friends, is how nasty City Government politics work with you don't agree with them.
Yet when approached about a hot topic in Raytown, he never even bothered to return a phone call or his Comcast Newsmakers program. Watching his fawn over Gov. Blount and Victory Callahan...etc.
Just too much for me!
But you're certainly intitled to having a different perspective. Maybe a name change to I Tell It Like I See (Understand) It is in order -- smile!
You wield a rather nasty pen (or keyboard in this case), but you are pretty gracious while doing so.
I have certainly been known to be wrong on occasion, on a number of occasions in fact. But, on the other hand I do hold strongly to my beliefs and values. In our society today so many people think most beliefs should be in 'grey areas', with no real right or wrong existing, right or wrong just being what a person thinks it should be on any particular day. That makes for a really sick society, and WE have a very sick society. It's been the moral downfall of most of the European Nations.
Those things that are really important to me are based on something much bigger than my likes or dislikes. My convictions are built on something more than just how I see things. Thusly, if I say I-tell-it-like-it-is, then I truly believe that is how it really IS (not just how I might happen to SEE it).
Although, be very careful in your evaluations of what I say. You have to understand that I often make "tongue in cheek" statements. You just have to figure out when that is and when it isn't. By the way, you seem pretty adamant about how you SEE things, glad you don’t really believe those things are how it IS....Smiling back at you.
This is Respectfully Anon...
What you're talking about in Europe is "situational ethics."
A little Bertrand Russell or Jean' Paul Sarte (sp?)
You can't expect people to read between the lines and know when you're being "tongue-in-cheek." "Plain Talking," as Truman said, "is easiest understood."
I got me one of them 'thar ed-u-ma-cations! smile
I have a sense of humor so I don't take offense at much. Tho' I don't suffer stupidity too well. (Rush Limbaugh/Ann Coulter, etc.) I do realize, as Will Rogers always said: "We're all ignorant, only on different subjects."
So, I too, am ignorant because I don't "know" some things.
Stupidity is another issue all together.
You can like whomever you like and that's fine with me. But, "yes," I do have strong opinions also on those in the so-called media feeding us %^$& and telling us it's apple butter.
Glad to see a lively discussion on a level above the normal in this town.
Raytowners are good people and great neighbors. But our political leaders are about as phony as Shanin and Phillips.
smile. Gotcha!