In This Week's Raytown Report
Broken Glass and Missed Opportunities
Trash Hauling Plan Hits Roadblock
High School Sports
O'Hara and Raytown South Ranked by Kansas City Star Sports Writers
Poll Results
Broken Glass and Missed Opporunities
by Greg Walters
Most readers are aware of Ripple Glass and the effort of Boulevard Brewing Company to turn what is going into area landfills into a money making venture. The new company takes glass, crushes it into ground glass called cullet, which is then melted own and then spun into fiberglass. The process set up in Kansas City is the first of its kind in the nation. So, we are on the cutting edge of a recycling solution that is anticipated to keep 80,000 tons of glass out of area landfills.
Sounds like a good idea because it is a good idea.
Most area recycling centers jumped on board immediately when offered the chance to be a collection point for glass. Members of the Board of Aldermen met with officials from Ripple Glass and were given the opportunity to open the city’s recycling center as a collection point.
Instead, the Raytown collection point is Berbiglia Liquor Store located at 350 Highway and Gregory Boulevard. Nothing wrong with that location – it is central to the city and at a major intersection. But it does drive home the point that city hall has not acted on an opportunity laid at their feet.
Many people regularly use Raytown’s Recycling Center. It is a popular program that actually turns a dollar for the city. The good people at Ripple Glass have offered to place a recycling container there without charge to the city. That way people can drop off their glass with their regular recyclables.
But since the city has yet to accept the containers from Ripple Glass, anyone wishing to recycle now has to make two trips, one to Raytown’s center and one to the Berbiglia parking lot.
Board members are at a loss as to why the Center is not accepting glass.
“I know we approved Ripple Glass for the Recycling Center in the Municipal Committee by a unanimous vote. Why it has been done is beyond me,” said Alderman Bill VanBuskirk.
Another Alderman (who asked not to be identified) opined, “it (Ripple Glass) appears to have ended up in some sort of bureaucratic hell up at City Hall."
It is not too late for city hall to take advantage of the offer from Ripple Glass. It would be a move that would make sense on many fronts. It makes ecological and economic sense. It also creates a convenience for recyclers.
Trash Hauling Plan Hits Roadblock
Ward 3 Alderman Christine White has a plan. She would like to see Raytown’s trash hauling organized in a more productive way. She has proposed that the city explore a change to how local trash haulers conduct their business in Raytown.
So, she took her idea to the Municipal Committee.
The idea was not met with open arms. Aldermen Joe Creamer, Bill Van Buskirk and Steve Mock spoke out against any plan that would take away Raytown homeowner’s choice of who and how their trash haul off their trash.
The Municipal Committee voted the idea down by a vote of 2 yes / 3 no.
White has not said what her next step is in moving her plans forward.
In one sense her dilemma is ironic. It was through Alderman White and Mayor David Bower’s actions that the City’s Recycling Committee was disbanded two years ago. That committee had discussed long range plans of finding some middle ground in an effort to streamline trash hauling services in Raytown.
How they voted: YES - White, Hamilton NO - Creamer, VanBuskirk, Mock
High School Sports
O’Hara and Raytown South Ranked by Kansas City Star Sportswriters
Both O’Hara and Raytown South High School have been recognized in the top ten “Boys Big Class” ranking by Kansas City Star sportswriters. Big Class consists of Missouri classes 4 and 5. Kansas schools are made up of classes 5A and 6A. Ranking is of January 14, 2010.
BIG BOYS CLASS (won/loss record in parenthesis)
1. Bishop Miege (5 – 0)
2. O’Hara (12 -1 )
3. Kearney (11 – 0)
4. Leavenworth (6 – 0)
5. Raymore-Peculiar (11-1)
6. Olathe East (5 – 1)
7. Raytown South (11 -3)
8. Olathe South (5 – 1)
9. Blue Valley NW (5 – 1)
10. Truman (11 – 2)
T. J. White Is MVP in O'Hara's Double Overtime Win
O’Hara Tournament Champions This Year
by Brother Richard Geimer
One year ago, a lane violation cost O'Hara a last second victory but this time it took a double overtime game, and the Celtics came away with an exciting 71-70 Championship in the Patterson Division of the William Jewell Basketbal Classic. Teamwork and talented individual efforts paid off for O'Hara who led much of the way before the game went into overtime. It appeared the Columbia Rock Bridge Bruins would take the game in the first overtime period when they went up by five points, but eventually T. J. White tied the contest with a layup and the game proceeded into the second overtime.
For the rest of this story and other stories about O’Hara sports use this link: O'Hara High School Sports
Rockhurst Finishes with a Flourish, Beats Raytown South 71 - 62
Rockhurst High School used a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter in taking control of Friday's game against Raytown South, winning 71-62 at Rockhurst.
"We played well against a (high-)quality and district opponent," Rockhurst coach Mark Nusbaum said.
The game was close through the first three quarters. The Hawklets led 17-16 at the end of the first quarter, and the game was tied 30-30 at halftime.
Written by: CHARLES REDFIELD Published by the KC Star Click Here for full article
For other about Raytown South sports use this link: Raytown South Sports
Last Week's Poll Results
QUESTION ONE: Should the City of Raytown reduce utility taxes to make up for the winter's coldsnap windfall of franchise tax revenue?
YES . . . . . . 72%
NO. . . . . . . 28%
QUESTION TWO: Should City Hall have closed the Recycling Center the weekend of January 7th?
YES . . . . . . 58%
NO. . . . . . . 42%
Comments
In the meantime, please utilize the glass recycle @ Berbiglia's on 350 Hwy, not as a dumping ground but as a true way to reduce the amount we send to the landfill. On an excursion with my 3 oldest sons today we deposited some glass and I was disappointed to see other items left in the bin. How sad, are you really that lazy to separate trash from the glass?
Justin Tomac
To me it is a slight nuisance to have to find a trash hauler and then remember to pay the bill since they don't bill. Also the rates are $19/month and I have weeks that I put out only one bag or nothing at all.
I have lived in cities where the city handled the trash pick up and either did it themselves or contracted it. It is much easier for the contractor.
The only plan I would find acceptable is for the city to be responsible for trash collection and bill it with sewer billing. The city could be divided into 5 areas corresponding to the 5 Wards and each area put up for bid. I suggest 5 areas to make it fair to all bidders to give 5 bidders an opportunity.
My logic is at present trash is picked up randomly where a hauler may pick up none or only a few houses in a block. They are deadheading down a street with less profit. If a hauler picked up EVERY house, the trip would be more profitable and they don't have to sort out which house to pick up. Since it will cost less to pick up all homes rather than just a few homes, the trash rates should come down. In areas with alleys, there could be one large container for every 4 homes. Shared containers are done in Roswell, NM and Alamogordo, NM. Roswell has containers in the streets where there are no alleys. The fault I find with the Roswell method is it is unsightly as well as a safety hazard.
By the way, doesn't this require a 2 year letter of intent to the haulers?
Greg, did you keep a record of the votes from last week? I wish you would post them.
Andy Whiteman
I don't know how to act. Three elected officials actually thinking of the people.
I'm amazed.
The poll results are published at the bottom of this week's post.
The reason is quite simple. There are many who regularly make a trip to the city's recycling center once or twice a month. By making the site available to Ripple Glass it makes it convenient by saving on gasoline and time for those who use the center.
It also solves another problem pointed out by Mr. Tomac in his post. The Raytown Recycling Center is a "secure" location. There is no illegal dumping at the site of material that does not belong in the recycling containers.
It would be a win/win situation if the city were to allow a second container at the Recycling Center.
Finally, Ripple does not charge for the service. There is no extra cost to the city or user. In other words, there is no savings in only having one location.
to make up what they have given away.
A word to our elected people, that warm feeling you seem to get when you give our tax dollars away is
the same feeling a baby gets when it needs changing.
Only difference is the people are the diaper.
Obviously our BOA has only a few logical, progressive thinkers.
Greg, thanks for pointing out last week's poll. Since I have no interest in sports, you lose me where the sports section starts. Hence I didn't see the poll results.
Andy Whiteman
The Homeowners’ Association sent out the bills to homeowners and paid one check a month to the trash hauler. It was a win-win situation for everyone. We paid less for our trash service, and the trash hauler didn’t have to deal with late paying customers.
If the City of Raytown chose to subcontract the trash hauling, the cost to the residents would decrease. Like Andy suggested, the City could add the cost of the trash hauling to the sewer bill. They could also add curbside recycling, if they wanted.
Read and sign petition at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/desecration-of-american-indian-burial-grounds.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/desecration-of-american-indian-burial-grounds
It should be done by bid and the city should be very clear as to what and how the hauling is to be conducted in Raytown. Your trash haulers are not your family they are just your trash hauler. This prehistoric attitude of treating your haulers as your family is just asinine. If changing how the city does business would save all of us money including the city why would they not do it? It would save the city money on street maintaince because we would not have so many heavy trucks going down the streets everyday. If for know other reason the city should want to do what is best for it's citizens and how our tax money is spent.
Seeing who voted no pretty much tells me why this is not even going to be investigated. What a shame that Raytown has such small and narrow mind people on the board of Alderman. It seems that they would rather just say NO then to even look into it.
Believe me If someone was going to save me money every month I would be exstatic and I would be voting for them again. It is the cities job to convince these people that it will be to there benifit to make this change. There will always be those who cannot be pleased but for the most part most people will love you for this if you can honestly save them money.
Thanks Robbie Tubbs.
Sandy Hartwell
The homeowner would save money because of the savings incurred by not duplicating trash routes, etc., etc.
Also, if the city were to manage the program, that is, collect for the service, and then pay the service provider, there would be addtional savings.
Trash hauling service could be collected through sewer use charges. This would mean that everyone in the city would have to pay for the service. This would increase the number of users, thereby lowering the cost overall.
You would be surprised at the number of people who do not use a trash service but dispose of it on there own.
That's where the real savings is.
Christine White would do better to tell the whole story rather than just tiny bits and pieces that she (mistakenly) thinks are appealing.
They have a sneaky way of governing up at Raytown City Hall. It is as if they had a little club, but only some are invited to play.
Lets have only one insurance company, one grocery store,
one pharmacy, one hardware store or one real estate company.
Better yet maybe Wal-Mart will start collecting refuse.
That way they can put more local businesses out of business.
Greg, I thought the city made money on the glass at the city recycling center. If this is the case why would we want another glass bin that we did not make money on in the same center.
I believe in free enterprise.
Then you have to watch out for who the city is or will be
recommending. In other words follow the money.
What about commercial hauling? Will businesses
have to pay twice for one service?
Ripple Glass is a new company in the recycling business. They are the first to take waste glass and turn it into a marektable product (fiberglass) in the same community.
They do not charge to carry off the glass. They do make money from the recylced fiberglass.
What the heck, if someone wants to make money from what normally goes into a landfill, more power to them.
The city does earn money from the paper, metal and plastic collected at the Recycling Center. The company that hauls off that material is Batliner Paper.
Compare that to the flyer I received in the mail at my Raytown house. $17 per month with a limit of either 2 or 4 40-gallon bags. (can't remember) With an option to rent a container for $3 a month and they'll take anything that fits in it. Sounds like free enterprise is costing Raytown citizens $3.25 to $6.25 a month, and you get to haul all the recycling on the weekends that they choose to be open.
And you also get more soot, brake dust, rubber particles, and noise from each company duplicating the routes.
As far as whether the city makes good use of your tax dollars, what are you doing to let them know your wishes? I made my first Raytown BOA meeting tonight, and it appeared there were only 3 of us that were NOT city employees or presenters. And they voted on spending nearly $200k of your tax money.
BTW, you should all thank Mr Van Buskirk for taking it on the chin for those of us who want to know what is going on in City Hall. He pulled 3 spending resolutions out of the Consent Agenda and reiterated his displeasure with the sub-standard summary minutes of the meetings. To the comment by my representative, Mr Aziere, I have this to say: I don't care if it was discussed in committee, I don't get paid to attend and can't make every meeting. And I don't care if it was discussed in a prior BOA meeting, I might not have been able to attend and I want to know that my representatives understand the resolution at the time it is voted on.
had enough of the spending and giving away of taxpayer money.
I hope this is a trend to put government in it's place and back
working for the people and not big banks and corporate fat cats.
I hope this movement won't burn out before Raytown's next
election. Massachusetts isn't the only spot in America that needs
change. Raytown could do with a bunch of new faces in it's
government too.
Aziere is trying to gain to favor with his handlers, the city attorney and adminstrator. If he can get them to appreciate him more maybe he can get some of his cockeyed ideas on the agenda.
Keep up the good work Mr. VanBuskirk. You are right to insist on more clarification on bills. It is our money they are spending we have a right to know and you are right to help that happen.
I can't believe you want our elected people to try
to run a refuse system. Is it because you think they
have done such a good job working for the people so far?
If this came to be, you know this would probably give
our spenders just cause for another high paying position.
In the long run, there would probably be no money saved
because knowing these people in City Hall as we all do,
they would have to raise our taxes to cover the position.
I would rather the city just set up certain days that refuse
could be picked up. That way one day out of the week
would be all we would have to have the "soot, brake dust,
rubber particles and noise."
Remember, everything these elected people do costs
us money. It's all they know how to do, and hardly ever,
does it make life better for the people.
better what he is not.
Those of you that choose to call him your representative, I challenge you to tell the rest of us anything he has done for the
betterment of Raytown or the citizens.
Lee, who hauls your trash for $13.xx per month? I pay $19 with no limit but I don't have enough trash to justify weekly pick up.
There was an article in the Red Star today picturing Mayor Bower making a statement thar Raytown will NOT have curbside recycling which is suggected by MARC. I couldn't understand his reason. Maybe I am simple.
Andy Whiteman
MASSACHUSETTS – Guess Obama was wrong. He insists on shoving the health care down our throats.
End result, I predict a wholesale slaughter of Democrats from one end of the country to the other.
Even the staunchest Democrat will sooner or later have to quit blaming George Bush for our present economic conditions.
The irony of it is the fact that on December 19, 2009, the Boston Herald published a poll showing Martha Coakley being almost 22 points ahead of the elected Senator Scott Brown.
In just 30 days the electorate had one of the greatest and most sudden changes of mind in political history.
Do you suppose the Louisiana Purchase of a senator’s vote for health care, coupled with the Cornhusker sell-out of another senator on the same issue had anything to do with it?
Add to that the sell-out to the unions on their Cadillac health plans and you had the mixture for a “perfect storm.”
KANSAS CITY – CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NO. 5 -
He’s BAAAACCCKKK!
The Salamander is speaking of Jacob Turk’s biennial entry into the Fifth District Congressional race.
Turk is considered by many to be nothing but a Republican stalking horse. His job is to get the GOP nomination, then sit on his hands and watch Congressman E. Cleaver run off with a job.
We can only hope someone, anyone, files on the Republican ticket. Turk doesn’t have a chance.
In Cleaver’s case, it’s politically wise to blow your horn about what you’re doing for your race when election time comes around. But the cold facts are that unemployment among minorities in Jackson County is nearing 22%.
No one, Cleaver and Obama included, is doing anything about it except – giving more money to the Big Banks.
Sooner or later someone is going to get the blame; that someone could easily be our 5th District Congressman.
It may well be the present Congressman. Remember this well: Cleaver voted for every single billion dollar giveaway. He is right in there supporting a purse bleeding health care plan which has no planning at all.
No one, and the Salamander repeats, no one believes the health plan will do anything but bankrupt the country.
THE KANSAS CITY EARNING TAX: This dandy rates a column of its own. Look for it in a few days.
At the same time he says how much he supports recycling.
Is that why you are not accepting glass at the recycling center. Is it also why you cut the number of days it is open a month in half.
Mr. Mayor, you talk one way but walk another. You fooled a lot of people when you ran for Mayor. Me included.
I promise you. I will not get fooled again.
"I have a dream."
My dream is for people at city hall to do their job!
The tax payers deserve to get what they pay for.
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE,
VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KUDO'S and Thank you!...We are a family of eight (2 adults, 6 children under 8) that puts out one bag of trash a week as well. WE recycle at the Raytown & Hypermart locations, along with the Ripple Glass.
The challenge is how do you motivate those who do not want to expend the energy to do the same?
Justin Tomac
The question should read:
Should the City of Regulate who Raytowners can use for their trash hauling service, which by doing so will save the Raytowners on their trash hauling service?
You question leads to believe that Raytowners will not gain anything out of it.
Other option is have two options for voting no:
1st – The city should impose regulations on free enterprise
2nd – The city cannot manage other services correctly
As for me why not save some money.
Pat who said it would be imposed on business. Other communities allow business to find their own hauler. This would address your concern of how it would impact the business.
To me besides saving money is the issue with the number of haulers who come up and down our residential streets. The same streets that never receive the proper overlay or other maintenance that is needed.
We also have an ordinance that containers cannot be left out over 24 hours at the curb, but do you really expect the city to stay up on this one if with so many trash haulers have all kinds of different days of pickup for the same neighborhood.
The only other way to regulate the “Ghetto Look” of never ending trash containers at the curb is to make part of the lynching process to include an agreement that by ward when trash will be picked up. As well as include holiday and weather rules.
I recall this past year during nice weather that it took one of the trash services several days to catch up on the trash pickup in ward five. The people of this city as a whole should demand those who wish to operate and participate in free enterprise not negatively impact the image of the city or be prepared to accept the city imposing regulations on the industry to include a single hauler.
Wake-up my fellow Raytowners when are we going to demand the city clean-up this “Ghetto” that they continue to allow to be imposed on us.
With that said we need to focus first on a department head for codes that will actually start cleaning up this city. Secondly lets come up with a workable plan we can all agree on for the trash issue.
I am sure when we the voters saw the savings we would be in favor of the change.
Corporate welfare has had a negative impact on your pocket book.
Outsourcing jobs to other countries has had a negative impact on your ability to remain employed.
Lack of regulations and oversight has had a negative impact on your environment, pocket book and future of our nation.
Gee… Sounds like free enterprise is doing wonders for all of us.
No, I don’t believe in socialism, but we stand up to big business before they put an end to the life styles so many of us enjoy today.
We have seen the harm and dangers imposed on our children from lead painted toys coming from China just so the manufacture could save money on production cost. Closer to home we have seen the harm of business dumping slush on farm fields and the cancer the residences in that area are now dealing with.
We need to stop the complaints about the little things and look at the bigger picture of how tax give a ways to corporations like Wal-Mart is killing the American Dream. We need to understand that regulations and oversight are brought on by industry not doing the “RIGHT THING” on their own. We need to require companies to be forth coming on the percentage of jobs they outsource and what of our personal information is leaving the US. Companies who manufacture need to declare the percentage of each product that has parts produced outside of the US.
We as consumers need to look to support those businesses that truly reinvest in the American Dream, or safety and health.
From conversations with our outstanding leader and mayor, I know that our neighborhood servers is doing all they can do with more associates then past administrations; yet maintaining the status que of providing less service.
I have spoken with many who too have had conversations with this great leader and we have all heard the common theme that we are bringing negativity to Raytown for bringing to light the negative images and happenings within our community. He suggested we should instead applaud our city employees for their hard work and service provide to us; yet higher taxes we pay for fewer results.
I for one am sorry we didn’t elect someone who truly took a leadership role at city hall and is the first one asking what can be done to improve the image of our city and stop our citizens from complaining that nothing is being done at city hall.
Instead we have someone who has publicly attached other elected officials at board meetings. He states that those who complain about services are presenting a negative image of our city to others, while still not addressing the issues within the complaints.
Sad is he is the first to jump on the band wagon to hand our tax dollars to any developer or corporation; yet doesn’t include language in the agreements so that we are not holding the bag if the business goes south.
Mr. Mayor this is not the signs of a great leader, but one who needs to learn how to lead.
Amen to you. I know that I am sorry that our mayor does not understand that the only thing that is making our city a negative place is his codes dept. that IS NOT DOING THEIR JOBS. The reason for that is because HE does DOES NOT WANT THEM TOO and that came dierectly out of his mouth.
What I think is a real shame is that people write these things on the blog but do not have the guts to confront him in person. I have and it's not a pretty sight and you can sure see his real colors when he doesn't want to do something. But if more people would do that he might get the message that he will not be re-elected if things don't change.
A city-contracted trash hauler would not be as attuned to their customers' convenience as Raytown's competitive haulers are now. I know of neighborhood associations in Overland Park who contract with Deffenbaugh, and the trash hauler there is very particular about what they pick up and what they leave. It doesn't matter if they make the homeowner mad or inconvenienced, the hauler has the neighborhood contract and there's very little the homeowner can do if they're unhappy with the service. A bundle of sticks cut a foot too long? It sits there on the curb until the homeowner re-cuts and re-bundles it to comply with the "regulations." Didn't you read the manual?
In my experience trash haulers in Raytown are much more attuned to the needs of their customers. Generally competition is a good thing, and even if we could save $5 or even more per month, that would not compensate the citizens for the arrogance and annoyance that will result from a city-wide hauler.
What happened to the seven-year street overlay plan? What happened to the street tax increase? Our streets are falling apart worse than ever, and we've ALWAYS had competitive trash haulers, so don't blame it on them.
Blame it on City Hall, who repeatedly prove that they obviously have no clue how to run a city.
Lots of states – indeed, many countries - have banned smoking in all public places, including restaurants and bars, but this particular smoking ban should get everyone’s attention. The state was North Carolina, a state which leads the nation in tobacco growing, a state where 255,000 people work in the tobacco industry, a state which in 2008 produced nearly half the value of the United State’s output with $686 million worth of tobacco, a state that is home to two major tobacco companies, a state where tobacco helped build two major universities, Duke and Wake Forest.
The usual lame arguments were heard as North Carolina considered the ban – smoking bans infringe on individual rights and the rights of business owners, people can just avoid the bars and restaurants that smokers frequent if they don’t want to be exposed to tobacco smoke - but when the vote was taken, the legislators saw the opportunity to save lives, reduce chronic illnesses and cut unnecessary health care costs ($289 million in state health care costs, not to mention private health insurance costs) all related to secondhand smoke exposure.
The North Carolina legislature took the opportunity that Raytown BOA missed. Good for them, bad for us. Our BOA ignored the comments of healthcare professionals and caved to the greed and self-interests of a few businesses that cared only about their bottom-line. Business owners elsewhere have changed their business model in order to draw customers without the haze and health risks of a smoke cloud. Ours could have done the same if the BOA had what it took to pass a smoking ban like countless other cities, states and countries have done.
Yael Abouhalkah had it right in his November 11, 2009 article in the Star where he wrote about the handling of the smoking-ban issue in Raytown, Grandview and other smaller cities. Abouhalkah graded the efforts of these cities not with an “F” but a double “F” (FF) and wrote: “Elected leaders in these cities have failed to protect residents with reasonable smoke-free ordinances. Worse, they have studied the issue and come back with lame excuses for their inaction.” Our BOA missed the opportunity to protect the health of our residents and missed the opportunity to give our community a little credibility and respect and in the words of Mr. Abouhalkah, “stop being the region’s ashtrays.”
Shame on our BOA for this missed opportunity.
Now in fairness to those work in the public works department. I agree you cannot be held accountable for the lack of training the city fails to provide your or for the condition of the equipment you have been given to perform that task required of you.
However, being many of the truly labors within the department live in the city you need to bring these maters to the attention of your elected officials. You are there on the front lines and understand directly the lack of direction you are given by a department head that cannot invest in this city by living in our city. If the department head is not living in our city how does he truly understand the issues you face? It is time you speak up and share the problems with malfunctioning trucks rather it is as simple as the windshield wipers not working and shutting a truck down or the hydraulic fluid being consumed at a ratio similar to beer at a college keg party.
If we had an elected officials that are truly concerned about public safety that would already be down at public works and inspecting the equipment as this not only put those of us who use our infrastructure at risk, but must more so those who ensure our street are cleaned and salted / sanded during these weather conditions.
When we do invest in new equipment and from the complaints and issue I have heard first hand from those in public works face. We need to ask if we are purchasing the right equipment to get the job done in the most efficient and cost effective way. With this said it is clear that some of the trucks do to their size limitations do not meet the needs of our community even in the lighter snows. We also then need to explore the effectiveness of man power that is doubled in a single truck because of issues with trucks either being down or being effective do their size and weight. Wouldn’t sending some home and operating in 24 hour shifts be a more effective us of man power and taxpayer dollars. I for one tax payer cannot justify having trucks double occupied and paying the overtime, but with only have the progress on the streets being made because half the fleet cannot meet our needs for one or more reason mentioned.
Mr. Mayor and Board of Alderman it is time you step up and make sure we are operating as effective as possible or step down from the office you hold for the failure to represent the safety of the citizens and taxpayers of our city.
The complaints are about bad decisions made by our city council and the senior staff, and yes, David, even you.
Listen to what the people here have to say. They are not asking for much. Just accountability, honesty and respect.
You offer them none of the above.
Andy Whiteman
By the way, Mr. Brown sure looks good in his Comos “NUDE” photos. What a great example of the family values the Republic Party is so proud of. I am sure he would fit right in with our own fine State Representative for the 48th District and the parties too many have heard about in Jefferson City.
So if you like the wild and nature side of a politician then I am sure you will be pleased with Massachusetts senator elect.
A prime example is the love seat that has been our in front of a house in the 66th hundred block of Elm since a week after Thanksgiving. Yet, do day that darn thing still seats now soaked by the weather. It doesn’t really come as a surprise to me as we first need to find a proactive and energetic individual to lead our codes enforcement department. The problem is we spend too much time looking at other city’s rejects and not within our own community and the vast number of unemployed because of the economy.
It seems in Raytown we live the old saying “You get what you pay for”!
I don’t want you to think this is the only issue of trash or trashy people facing Raytown. We are slowly becoming the dumping ground for those who don’t want to pay for trash service. For weeks two televisions remained next to the curb in front of a vacant lot at Overton and 75th. Not sure who to think for them finally disappearing, but glad someone took the effort.
I used to take the time to report little things like this to city hall, but why waste my time when they don’t want to address the problem or flat out won’t. Yes, too many times I or others I know have called in about animal carcass and the same department that is to enforce code violations will not get to from behind their desk and tend to the very issues we are paying them to handle. The department head and mayor are both aware of the issue, but both take the position that we don’t have any problems within our city.
What a great way to manage! I mean by claiming a problem doesn’t exist is just would go away at least in great minds of the great thinks elected to represent us.
Let’s wake up Raytown and blame ourselves for either not getting out and voting in the city elections or buying in to what was being shoveled out by the bull itself.
Either way…
“The time is now to hold them accountable for the blight our city has falling into”!
It is time they show respect not only to us the citizens, as their employers, but to each other. It is time for them to vote for the best interest of Raytown as a whole and not their self serving personal opinions.
Call your Alderman and Mayor Bower today and tell them you too have had enough!
Next you have a city that sure likes to keep that tax money coming in, refuses to provide adaquate basic services, elect a bunch of morons that have no clue as to how city government should run, and cater to the likes of big business with TIFS.
If they would just repave the roads properly to start with it would not matter how much vehicular traffic that there was on the roads it would probably last a lot longer than it has over the past several years.
If they would do that then they could leave my trash service alone. Freedom of choice! You want to take a step back, look at KCMO.
They have trash service for their residents, they used to provide 'free' trash bags that actually the cost was included on your water bills, and now you are told how much, what type, not in a trash can, at ground level, etc that you can place out for pickup.
Couple that with a lot of people are not educated enough to know that you just dont pile all of your trash out at the curb and leave it there, no bags, or bulky items. Some people think that Raytown is part of Kansas City and that their trash service must be provided by KCMO. Alot of people, immigrants, etc simply do not take the time to research into things before they move. They are moving here for different reasons, whether it is a defunct school system, or cheap available housing, or just ghetto expansion, whatever. I am ready to get out and away from this crap ASAP! And I will probably take a loss on my property because of the new Wal Mart as well!
Another Un Satisfied Lifelong Raytown Resident
Andy Whiteman
HAHAHAHAHAHA good luck in calling your alderman or the mayor
Christine White did just that when she took her ill-timed, unprepared approach to curb-side recycling to the Municipal Committee.
She packages it as an attempt to dictate who will pick up and deliver homeowner's trash and then smartly steps back to ring her hands and make a show of "oh my gosh, what will we do, what will we do!"
Meanwhile, her soulmate at City Hall, Mayor David Bower, takes the podium with the Kansas City Star and states how much he support recyclng and all things good.
Then he announces that Raytown will not participate an area wide attempt by the Mid America Regional Council to bring recycling to Raytown citizens.
The hyprocrisy and insincerity of White and Bower is bad enough.
It gets worse. There are nine others on the Board of Aldermen who could speak out. But they do not because they are believers in the philosophy that good elected officials are seen and not heard. They follow their instructions from those they hire to work for them.
Curbside Recycling is not difficult. It works in other communities because the political leadership has the will to make it happen. Once it is in place it becomes a popular program that people are proud of.
But to make it happen requires leadership, not political gamemanship. It requires resolve and foresight.
We have neither at Raytown City Hall.
Or, it could be that they are just so inept that they cannot accomplish anything!
Raytown is just behind in times for not doing curbside and a single trash hauler with a bid contract every two years....are you people really this dumb....
The present system does not make sense with each hauler picking up one house, then maybe 2 houses, then maybe 3 houses on a block. It seems unproductive and not cost effective to drive all over town to collect trash from a few houses. It makes more sense to pick up a whole neighborhood. Why not ask the haulers if they prefer to pick up a whole neighborhood or a few houses on each block?
Andy Whiteman