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Garth Brooks Concert Story
BY GREG WALTERS
There
have been some interesting debates recently in our local and area news. Most of
them have been fueled by the Covid Pandemic that is shaking our world.
The recent discussions over a recent concert held by Garth Brooks at Arrowhead Stadium became part of that debate.
Jackson County Legislator Ron Finley told his fellow Legislators
the following.
“I was sitting here thinking that, why don’t we
just cancel the concert? We might save 10 (thousand) or 15,000 lives there, I
don’t know,” Jackson County Legislator Ron Finley said at a Monday morning
meeting of the Legislature.
Listening to the back and forth by the radio talk
show hosts was interesting. One of the commentators suggested that if we shut
the Garth Brooks concert down, shouldn’t the same be done for the Kansas City
Chiefs football games?
The Garth Brooks Concert was attended by an
estimated 70,000 people. The Chiefs Stadium seats 80,000 fans.
The question of doing away with the football
season pretty much ended the debate.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who managed the concert
at Arrowhead, hosted a vaccination event prior to the Brooks
concert. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said anyone vaccinated at a
clinic prior to the concert would have a chance to win seat upgrades in a
raffle.
Only 35 people took advantage of the offer.
Brooks has since announced he is reassessing
whether to continue his stadium tour because of the rising number of COVID-19
cases.
Tax Increase Election
Planned for November BY PAUL LIVIUS
Tuesday night’s Board of Aldermen meeting was one of surprises. There is not a doubt the biggest surprise was an ordinance proposing a new tax be created for on-line purchases. If approved by the voters the new rate would be 2.5%.
The 2.5% increase translates to a new tax of $2.50 for each one hundred dollars spent.
If voters do not approve the tax increase the city does not lose any money – tax rates would remain the same as they are today.
Ward 1 Alderman Greg Walters questioned the wisdom to placing the question on the November ballot. November, 2021 is an “off year” for elections. That means there are not any regular elections planned for the November ballot.
The city ordinance called for cost of $40,000 just to hold the election.
Walters checked the day following the meeting to see if there were any other elections scheduled for the November, 2021 date.
Walters said, “I spoke with Director Tammy Brown of the Jackson County Election Board. She told me there were not any elections planned for November, 2021. She also told me she thought the cost would probably run about $60,000 to hold a one ballot question in November in Raytown.”
Director Brown suggested the city might consider either August or November of 2022 when National and State mid-term elections are held.
The savings to the city would be substantial.
The
Board will vote at its next regular meeting, scheduled for August 17th,
on whether or not to schedule the election for the November ballot.
OUR
VIEW . . .
What part of “NO” do they not understand?
 |
| BY GREG WALTERS |
August, 2018 Question
3: Internet Use Tax
1924
(29.25%) YES
4564
(70.75%) NO
The message from the voters was clear. They wanted more accountability. Not an increase in taxes.
The economic landscape has changed since three years ago. The burden of inflation and increased property values has dinminished the purchasing power of taxpayers in Raytown.
Sales taxes are a windfall for governments during infltionary periods. The City of Raytown is not an exception.
The taxpayer does not gain from this windfall. In fact, they are paying for it every time they make a purchase in Raytown.
In our view Raytown taxes are high enough. Holding a “stand alone” election is never a good idea. Particularly when the cost just to hold the election is expected to reach the $60,000.00 mark.
This tax package sends the wrong message at the wrong time. As a friend of ours shared with us recently, “What part of “NO” do they not understand?”
Dangerous
Traffic Hazard Repaired
Last
week we ran a story about an open access pipe on 59th Street. We are
pleased to report a new manhole cover has been installed to fix the problem.
You may notice on the picture at left that the cover reads “Gas” and is painted blue. The pipe cover is so old an original cover could not be located. The blue paint is significant because it identifies the piper under the cover to be a water pipe.
It is said “Necessity is the Mother of Invention. In this case that is certainly the case. To those who worked out a solution to make this traffic hazard disappear we say, "Good Job".
A visitor comes calling
 |
| A visitor from afar paid a visit to our garden of wild flowers. Summer is here! |
9 comments:
I don't understand why the BOA would waste $40K-$60 on a special election on a proposed internet sales tax! The people of Raytown clearly don't want more sales taxes!
That is a beautiful butterfly in the picture! Thanks for sharing.
I looked at the photo of traffic hazard that has been repaired but having worked in the underground locate field, I was confused at the "GAS" cover with blue paint indicating water until I read the description! I feel the "GAS" cover and blue marking for water will cause confusion sometime in the future especially when the paint fades! I am glad that it was repaired but the proper repair would have been to replace the entire unit so that it would have a water cap but I know funds are short. Is a "money saving" fix OK when there is a potential public safety issue probably years in the future when someone could be injured or killed?
Andy Whiteman
Are the elected officials, ( I refer this comment loosely), NUTS!! Trying to push another tax through! With all the inflation, people out of work, it is hard to make ends meet as it is! I have to live within my salary. If we didn't pay the high salaries to the "chair warmers" at city hall, we would have more money in the coffers. They need to live within their budgets. No to the taxes!
The ballots need to have 3 options, "YES", "NO", and "HELL NO". If "HELL NO" receives the majority of the votes, that question may never be placed on the ballot again.
Andy Whiteman
The only people paying the new tax are those making purchases on line.
As a customer, I have discovered a problem with internet tax collections when I was living in Raytown. The problem exists because the computer assigns the tax to a city by Zip Code. Both the 64133 and 64138 serve both Raytown and Kansas City. Some internet merchants asked me whether I lived in Raytown or Kansas City and charged the appropriate city tax but many merchants did not inquire leaving me to wonder which city was receiving my sales tax money. My question is if this internet tax is approved by the voters, how will the 2.5% be collected? There is a good possibility that much of it will NEVER be collected.
Andy Whiteman
August 9, 2021 at 5:31 PM,
"The only people paying the new tax are those making purchases on line."
That is the same as saying that the Raytown sales tax is paid only by those making purchases in Raytown!
Andy Whiteman
It's nice that someone found a cover for the water line. As for painting it blue, that's a little short-sighted. In 45 minutes, someone could have removed the "GAS" letters, and carved "H2O" in it. Just sayin.
We need another tax like a hole in the head, just to see it wasted. Tax and Spend. Every reason is being given under the sun to support this issue but the bottom line is we don't want more taxes.
"They plan to spend another $20,000 on a new sign. This time it will direct people to the police department. If it needs to be replaced because it is falling apart thats fine. But $20,000!!!"
You have got to be kidding me. ONCE AGAIN, community project(?), high school project(?). Sutherland for supplies?
Can that over-bright and over-"pixelated" monument sign in front of City Hall NOT handle the job?
I don't think that that monument sign turned out anywhere remotely as well as anticipated (my opinion only) up against the what? $60,000? Now $20,000 for a PD sign? Are those 2 signs worth EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS?
And NOW, during the "off-season", someone wants to spend $40K-$60K on a special election for an internet sales tax.
Let's give them more money. Yeah, right. Count us out.
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