Happy Talk
A NOTE TO MY READERS: Last week’s editorial on Hindsight will be continued in a future story on this page.
This past week I received a number of calls from constituents. At City Hall we call these types of calls “Requests for Service. I thought you would find them interesting.
First was a call from an old friend. He asked me to turn on the Raytown Government Channel 7 – I did so, and found that the radio station city hall re-broadcasts over the channel was not tuned in properly. The result was an irritating static that made the viewer either turn the volume down or switch to another channel. (I checked this evening -- it appears the problem has been corrected)
Another caller complained about an inoperable truck in front of her neighbor’s house. The truck, she said, had been there for six months. It had out of date license plates, a flat tire and did not run. She told me the vehicle had been turned in to the city’s code department, the police, but to no avail.
There was a time in Raytown when calls about code violations were from irate citizens claiming they were being picked on by city code inspectors. Now, I receive more calls from people complaining that their call for help to the city is ignored.
Another caller wanted to know why he had just received a newsletter from the city that was undoubtedly written for Summer publication on the first day of Fall. He also wanted to know how much it cost. Because from his point of view, it was little more than propaganda about how wonderful things are in Raytown without any useful information.
A business associate of mine – a Downtown Raytown business owner – told me of a conversation he recently had with Mayor Bower. He told the Mayor that the choice for this year’s Round-Up Days Parade (Kansas City resident Al Maddox) was an insult to Raytowners. “Couldn’t we find a Raytowner to serve as Raytown Marshall?” He asked.
There has been a lot of “happy talk” from the spin machine at city hall these past few weeks about the “progress” Raytown is making. I sincerely hope that they are right.
But until we can solve the problems evidenced in the above stories -- we have failed. We will have failed because we will not have learned that success is not measured in how much we build with concrete and steel. But in how we find solutions to the more mundane situations. Such as a home in ill repair that drags down the value of a neighborhood, a newsletter not sent in a timely manner, or a public television broadcast not properly monitored. It is how we handle and correct those situations that show the true meaning of public service. In the long view, it is much more important than building a new firehouse, school, bridge or monument at a city gateway.
Heard on the Street . . .
Former Mayor Sue Frank was recently sworn in as the new Jackson County Republican Committeewoman for Brooking Township (Raytown). Word is that Frank is looking for political opportunity after a short hiatus from the Mayor’s seat.
The continuing effort by some to re-invent Al Maddox as a local hero is falling on hard times. The claim (as reported in a local newspaper) that Maddox was involved in donating money to the Downtown Park has been proven bogus. A call to both City Hall and the Truman Heartland Foundation (which served as a clearing house for donations) has shown that NO checks were received from Al Maddox for the new park.
Light Up the Night!
Success is measured in many ways. One that I am happy to report is that the Board of Aldermen has added $10,000.00 to the fiscal 2008 budget for the purchase of new streetlights in Raytown. Good job, boys and girls!
Comments
Hopefully they can see to it to scrape together enough money somewhere to resurface some of our streets before it ends up costing twice to three times as much as it would to do it now when material costs and/or further damage from putting off necessary maintenance drive up the costs in the future, not to mention the extra wear and tear on both city vehicles and our vehicles, which costs us all in the long run. Perhaps cutting out the little posh retreat to the Lake of the Ozarks would help. Some of us citizens cannot even afford to go to the Lake of the Ozarks for a weekend, which would be nice to to. I believe that they can accomplish the same tasks here at home with the rest of us. There are meeting rooms at city hall and resturaunts that will cater food up there as well. They should really try that instead sometime.
(Then when you enter Raytown it's about 80% darker.)
I sure hope Raytown doesn't place street lights too close together in the Kansas City style. The KCMO area I used to live in had plenty of street lights. But now there is one every 50 or 60 feet. That is unnecessary and wasteful spending
I think it is a real disgrace and insult for the COC to bring in an alien to grand marshall the parade. I am sure many locals would accept it as an honor.
Andy Whiteman
I even bitched to Comcast about it and CHannel 2. 2's modulation now works.
7's comes on correctly once in a blue moon.
public use? That way people could air their questions, comments and problems.
Maybe other people in town have the same thoughts.
Why not have something that is truely open to the public?
Andy Whiteman
I just read last weeks Post, I had a weak moment, but I read the article about the person named Scott Walz wanting to start a group like you had suggested. The article says he is a downtown business owner but it does not say what and where his business is. Do you know him? Has he talked to you? He says he has talked to all the downtown business owners and is going to talk to the residents next. Looks like you must have had a good idea but some one is trying to take over, probably the city. If that is who's doing this it will only have the the yes people that are on everything now.
I am very interested who this person is. If you don't know him does anyone who is reading this know?
However you peeked my curiosity and I too read the Post.
I don't have a problem with someone else starting a downtown group but,
I do have concern about the other people that he "took along with him."
The Chamber president and Mr. Truesdale. This doesn't sound like it will be an independent group.
I also asked several of my neighbors if they had talked to anyone other than
myself about forming a group of downtown business and property owners.
They had not.
If and when I can get a group of people together it, at least at first, will not
include members of City Hall or the Chamber, however if they are business owners they would be welcome.
Most of the twenty or so people I have talked to, would rather they not be there
at first. They-we didn't want any city officials present until we get some kind of
order and goals to present them.
Having said all that, as I said, I have no problem with anyone forming a group for
downtown. I would however have a problem if it turned out to be another
"rubber stamp yes group" for the city like most have been in the past.
Unfortunately, I feel that is what the Chamber is, it was not to be seen when
the developers were trying to steal our property, in fact they backed the developer. And we all know about the other group that the new logo was named after.
But of course you can count on Pat to bag it because the city's Community Development director is involved with the process.
BTW Pat...your problems with the initial developer, Harpool, are ancient history. Time to give it a rest and move on.
And I do know Scott Walz. He is a good young man, a small business owner with a good product.
We now have a meeting place, date and time.
If you are interested in attending, I ask you to call me so I can give you this information.
However at this time, as I have said before, we do not want city officials or other groups to attend at this particular time. It's not personal. We just
want to get organized first. Only business and property owners.
Thank you,
My number is 356-1590.
Doesn't seem like a lot of help to me.
When it came to city street lights they came to the citizens defense. If it was put in the budget leave it there. If we are only able to get maybe 18 lights or less let's start with that and build on it. I DO have a problem with Alderman Fleming. Why do you hare to wait for a study from public works, police, ambulance ect. to find out where lights are needed. Why not drive the neighborhoods and ask the citizens their input. They know more than the city does. Why is you always try to avoid the citizens input? If you want to do something to improe the city have public works drive the city and cut away the tree limbs that are obstructing the view of stop signs. Some of the signs can not be seen due to the limbs. I will say if this is the reason for an accident the city could be held responsible. I imagine as usual I am talking to deaf ers.
Yes, we need a study for everything. I think it is CYA thing so no one has the responsibility if someone complains they didn't get ther street light. Another way to waste money: Pay for a study. I will notify my alderperson where I see a need for the lights, let him pass it on, and the powers that be can argue it out amongst themselves.
What good are streetlights if you can't see them? There is a streetlight across from my home that I was unaware of until the first winter I was here. It is obscured by tree limbs during the summer and really useless.
I think the reason that Pat is mentioning past developers is that he doesn't want the same thng to happen again. I learned in school we need to learn from history because history repeats itself.
Andy Whiteman
$20,000 for newsletter (and BOA can afford only $10,000 for street lights?)
If you watched Tues night's meeting, the mayor just couldn't see how the poor city employee "with two other jobs" could even get out a newsletter...let alone one that is relevant.
That city employee is city clerk/human resources director.
Same one who can't even type up BOA meeting notes if my information is correct.
Good luck Pat with an independent business person's group! Quentin Clark had one going --- even started the BBQ event --- until the Chamber sucked him back into the fold.
The city, chamber and the likes are not going to let someone else step up and accomplish anything because they'd lose control and purpose. Like there is any purpose to either other than feathering their own nests and pissing away taxpayer dollars.
Andy W. TV Channels are federally controlled...that's why cable companies give cities little PR channels to keep their franchise approval coming. Then they pass on the franchise fee to customers via higher rates. I know...I asked the cable people and they about choked on the answer.
Anon e mouse: Crawl back into your little rat hole at City Hall or Wildwood Lake.
Like 90% of the people, I don't see the local papers. But it's typical of the Post to report on Scott Walz without telling anyone who he is, his business ad nasuem. That's just poor reporting.
And a final observation: Aziere only lies when he opens his mouth. And Cramer? Where's the "antique" cars being rebuilt in driveways? He's another winner! Ha Ha
Forrest Gump said it best: Stupid is as stupid does.
And that's the only surplus commodity in this community!
As for the survey published in the newsletter, the city likes to toot its own horn. Yes, it was in other papers, but they know that hopefully everyone will get this paper if the don't get the commercial papers.
I understand the concept of the free cable TV channel, but I still contend that the city should not state that it is "legal notice" because the entire public does not receive it. I have no objection except the legal notice claim. I think it is a good service for those who can afford it.
As for the street lights, I can walk my dog and know where they are they are needed. Alderwoman Flemming could do the same. That is a satisfactory survey, but I think she wants to CYA. These people were elected but appear unable to make a decision, How pathetic! When the next election comes around, I will be guided by my observations of Board meetings. If someone is unable to make a simple decison, they don't merit my vote. Some of these people are lucky they aren't in my ward because I do have neighbors who asks my opinion.
watch out for more and higher school taxes but, they hit the
nail directly on the head.
Now I don't pretend to know all the in's and out's about city and school financing but here's what I think I understand about it.
The school dist. clams they are "operating at a deficit due to operating costs."
in which Webster's defines "deficit" as "an excess of expenditures over income. In understandable terms, they spent more money than they should have
and now they want more.
Then there is the street light issue if the figures are right they spend more money
on a news letter than public safety.
It all boils down to the spending and wasting of taxpayer money but it doesn't stop
there. They now know all they have to do is ask for more and they will get it.
Again if I recall the school district's last increase was for the same reasons.
They used the old "kids education" ploy to get more money and then they started
buying land like Donald Trump.
Here's what I don't understand about all of this, and I am truly not trying to sound
like a smarta## but,
Why in times of low city income, is there even a news letter?
Why are codes people running businesses out of town?
NO businesses means NO taxes being collected.
Why didn't the school district make Wal-Mart pay for everything?
Why is it so hard for new businesses to come to town, (that is if they aren't Wal-Mart)
Why do taxpayers have to pay for stupid decisions? And in some cases
the people that are making these stupid decisions are getting raises.
Bottom line here is, the people that we trust to do right by us taxpayers and watch
out for how our tax dollars are being spent aren't doing it right.
They spend money like they are on some kind of spending spree
at their favorite shopping mall.
If I am wrong in what I say tell me, but what I've seen up until now I don't think so.
The new projects going on with Herndon VoTech, Remodeling the old Raytown Junior High School for Middle School #3, the new #10 elementary school, the early childhood education center at Blue Ridge Elementary, and the Aquila Building up on 350 highway, only three of these projects are not a direct result of Wal Marts new location which are the new #10 elementary school, the #3 Middle School, and the early childhood center at Blue Ridge Elementary School. I really question the need for the projects being done because of the new Wal Mart. Unless something has changed, Wal Mart was supposed to foot the bill for the relocation of those facilities.
I also agreed that the Board of Education Building had too small of a meeting room and they had outgrown it, needing to either expand its size, or move to the new location on Raytown Road.
However, I do believe that the district has gotten too top heavy with administrative staff which could be scaled back to result in an increased savings.
But there has to be a increase to teachers wages to help retain good teachers here for the schools. There is an extremely high teacher turnover rate here in this district because they are chasing the dollar. Other districts are paying more money than ours. They might start out here, then they leave.
Just like the city, the school district needs to better budget the tax money and spend it more wisely in the future. I do know that some things have improved like curriculums, and courses, but when they dont have enough textbooks to go around for every student to have one, which is the case that is going on now, there are still problems that exist.
The tax money being lost from the TIF's are hurting not only the city, but the district as well.
I agree that they(both the city and the school district) should be better stewards of the tax money than they have been, and dont just let it flutter away on silly shopping sprees, sort of like buying a meal at McDonalds on a Visa or American Express Card.
On the streetlights, they dont need to have a study done to figure out correct streetlight placement. That is stupid. Anyone with a half@$$ bit of common sense can go out and look to see where the problems are, and figure out what to do to solve those problems. If there are trees blocking exsisting lighting fixtures, then the city either should prune them, or contract with Asplundh or a local tree trimmer like Durbin to trim the limbs away from the lights. If they are blocking street signs, trim those also. If they hit your head when walking on a sidewalk, they should be trimmed also. After that is done, figure out where additional ones should be placed to complement the ones that are currently in service. How hard was that Marilyn?
I agree with you on teachers wages.
I feel and have always felt that teachers and police are and have always been,
underpaid. They have thankless jobs and we only hear about them when something
goes wrong.
However spending should be done with the taxpayer in mind.
Our spenders at City Hall and the School Board should think, then think again
and even think again, why and how they are spending taxpayer money.
It should be like two businesses, the city should put a lock on any spending until and only when the tax revenue is increased. The people that are running off
businesses and making it hard for new businesses to come to town should BE FIRED! They clearly don't have the best interest for this town in mind.
NO MORE T.I.F's. Somebody has to pay for these and you know who it is.
This is the first time I have ever said something like that but I could tell you
facts from other business owners that would make a monk mad.
Businesses that have been here over twenty years and being forced to leave by harassment. They are being fined for things that other businesses are not even warned about.
The sad thing is it's the same guy that is preventing the growth of this town.
NO COMMON SENCE prevails when it comes to the treatment of business and property owners. It's their way or the highway.
It came out at the last board of Alderpeople meeting that there are actually TWO groups responsible for enforcing the SAME codes and $10,000 is needed for wireless laptops top keep them in sync so one group knows what the other is doing.
This sound slogical at first, but after some thought, it seems ridiculous and wasteful to have two groups of people doing the same job! I would have one of the groups doing another job that needs doing or maybe decide that some jobs were unneeded. Is this good management?
Maybe the above explains why businesses especially new businesses are having codes issues! (I have a code issue, myself, because of this so it makes me very irate!)
Andy Whiteman
I don't know what your problem is with me and frankly I don't care.
But I did take your advice and looked up the Main Street site.
Strangely enough it was the site I looked up last month.
In fact, I thought their "Four Points Approach" and the "Eight Principles of success"
were interesting.
However I doubt any group of people here will be able to follow this approach.
For one it takes money to follow The Main Street guidelines.
My idea of getting a group of business and property owners together is to try
and come up with some ideas to present to the city. I think this can be done without begging for money.
A non e mouse, you say that my problem with the first developer is "ancient history," and so it is with the second developer. Again you are right but the
attitude at City Hall hasn't changed. I don't want anyone to forget how we all were treated.
Another thing you criticize me for is, for me "To bag it, because the cities Community Development Director is involved."
Again I have to admit you are right. However I don't "bag" the project.
I just bag the Community, Economic...Director. He has done more to hurt this
town than he has done good for it.
If I wanted to start a group of people to just complain about this city and I do hear about it every day, well lets just say I don't think there is a building here large enough to hold the people.
What I want to do is help make our town a better place. Our elected officials haven't been able to come up with any ideas in the last twenty years so maybe
the people can. Positive ideas, that is all we want.
And yes, if another developer comes in and starts out with eminent domain and condemnation in mind, your damn right I'll start my fight all over again.
Try googling the Main Street Project for info on that.
anonymous 10/3 @ 12:26:
Scot's business is in a small building almost directly across the street from Crump's on old Raytown Road. He has a software application business that is used for police emergency response operations...dispatching/call-taking stuff.
Pat Casady:
I have nothing against you. Please don't start acting like Greg Walters and feeling that every comment made is a personal attack on you. If you want to put your name on your public opinions, be prepared for response.
I only said to check out the information about the Main Street before bagging on it. It has worked well in several Missouri communities in the past...most notably in Lee's Summit. Why not here? It's worth a look don't you think? I mean, after all, can we do any worse?
anonymous 10/3 @ 5:28:
Sorry to disappoint you but I don't work at City Hall, and I don't live in Wildwood. Guess again!!
andy 10/3 @ 11:48
If people in your ward ask you for your opinion, I'm sure the information is used to make a decision or take a stand the (bi)polar OPPOSITE of yours!
I've had several folks ask me if I've ever heard that Whineman guy at council meetings. I tell them no...I turn the volume down until you leave the podium.
I don't feel like every comment made is a personal attack on me.
I do however, think that when a comment is directed at me by name that maybe I should take it personally.
Like:
"But of course you can count on Pat to bag on it"
I am up for anything that will make Raytown a better place. You took it upon yourself to assume and print that I would "Bag" on it.
Enough, we probably have the same goals in mind I just want it to happen in a more passive manner. And I will assume nothing.
AT&T retirement had a laptop stolen from an employees home. It never should have left to office! The laptop had personal data of all retirees. This cost AT&T $$$$$ becuase they paid for all affected people a year to have a 1 year identify theft protection.
a non e mouse:
Where did you get your license to practice medicine? Several medical degrees are required to make a statement such as you did.
Sorry if I am too loud, but I get very emmotional over some issues. Have you ever heard a political speach? 95% of them are too loud for me.
I really feel that this blog is a good place to voice issues for the common good. Nothing is gained by personal attacks. Lets stay focused on the issues, not each other. That is why the Board of Alderpeople can control the citizens of this Nazi fief. There is no common bond, only bickering among each other.
Andy Whiteman
I believe that someone forgot the concept of how government works:
CITIZENS PAY TAX MONEY TO THE GOVERNMENT. GOVERNMENT DECIDES HOW TO SPEND CITIZENS TAX MONEY WITH INPUT FROM CITIZENS.
Now why would a person complain about someone having their hand out expecting the government pay for something when we are really the ones paying for it anyway? Unless, of course, you dont pay your taxes or evade doing so.
I would personally like to see the end results of our tax money being spent instead of not seeing any end results at all.
Go get another beer and think about it for a while. It will be allright.
Anonymous October 5, 2007 4:29 PM.
Tax money is really our money. I would like to see it spent wisely so the people benefit. I would rather see the money put to some beneficial use rather than laptops, not that I don't like laptops, but I don't think they are needed here. It wasn't mentioned that since they will have WiFi access, they will have a monthly charge! Not an electrical charge but money charged for over the air usage!
If it is estimated that $10,000 will buy approximately 18 street lights, it seems to me if we didn't buy laptops, whe could get a total of 30-40 street lights since the 18 is an estimate not knowing actual cost. If the out of town travel was eliminated, how many more street lights would be have?
Hey guys, with some wise bugeting we would have a good portion of our street lights!
I used to be Secretary/Treasurer for a Fire District and we could have the essentials that we want if the non-essentials and wasteful spending is stopped.
I think we really need a study to determine which city jobs are duplicating other city jobs and also look towards cutting the pay of tie-wearing chair warmers as their contract expires. We need to look at the city as a business (non-profit) and run it with good common sense as a business.
Andy Whiteman
The laptops supposedly are needed to help in reducing 'duplicate' work??? They must mean the codes officers/dogcatchers might be writing up two of the same violation for the same address.
Solution: Write the address in question down on paper with a pencil or pen(WHAT?) and check the pc when you get back to the office in your new city vehicle after you catch the dog that is loose chasing kids at the local bus stop or the morning joggers, just to see if it is a duplicate. Brilliant idea!
I would like to see a WiFi city, but who pays for it? I have been Reading the Albuquerque Journal online. Rio Rancho, NM had contracted to get WiFi. Originally it was stated that the vendor did have an issue with another city. Most recently Rio Rancho cancelled the contract over several issues mainly the vendor not reimbursing the city for the electrc bill.
Mountainair, NM is a small town of about 2 sq. miles in the mountians. A private vendor provides WiFi to the whole town but only to those who pay for it.
I think it is best left to private vendors. I haven't done much checking but I know there are vendors such as Sprint who supply WiFi to all who can pay on a subscription basis. Personally I have a wireless router that serves my laptop around the house.
Anyone can sign up for DSL or higher quality and share (or resell) it to neighbors so they are paying their share of the bill. To me there is a bandwith issue, security issues, etc. but it can be done. There are cases in rural areas with no service where someone pays for a T-1 and resells it to the area. I have heard of a HS student doing that with financial backing of his grandfather!
Along the same lines, anyone with DSL can buy a router and make his home wireless. (Listen to Kim Komando KMBZ 980 at 4PM Sundays or go to www.komando.com.)
Sparky:
I totally agree. The code Nazis could get on their cell and call the office. Pencil and paper is too primative.
Actually lets take this one more step: Do we really need 2 groups enforcing the same codes? This is wasteful stupidity. I say let the dog catcher enforce obvious nuisances like over grown weeds, litter(trash at large), etc. Community Planning can handle building codes and zoning issues. If one group thinks they see a violation, the have cell phones to call the proper group to check it out. This is simple but each person would have less work so they can also be doing something else productive or we may find that we don't need that many people working!
Now the money saved from that as well as cutting travel and the salary of tie-wearing chair warmers will pay for street lights, road resurfacing, etc.
Andy Whiteman
Laptops are really throw away items. Most technicians won't talk to you about repair saying laptops are too small to work with or the repair costs more than the laptop is worth. You don't get them repaired. Will there be a budget for laptop replacement?
My laptop has been around several years but it gets very little use.
It seems to me it would be cheaper for the Code Gestapo to call the office and ask them to reference the address or whatever on their PC.
Andy Whiteman
Andy Whiteman
Also remember your data is still there for anyone's use. Delete does not really delete. It just allows that space to be reused. Before properly disposing of a lap top or computer you should do a Military wipe or demolish the hard drive to render the data unacessable to others.
Andy Whiteman
Fire Departments can use them for floor plans of buildings and hazardous chemical locations as well as the other uses anonymous mentioned. They can be a valuable tool.
What I and (I think many of us) are questioning is why are laptops needed to aid 2 different groups who are doing the same job? I think it seems like a waste of laptops and also of duplication of workers time!
Andy Whiteman