Good News For The Independence Police Department
Submitted by ELISA on July 1, 2009 - 8:04am
Great news for the Independence Police Department or is it??? Toriano L. Porter's story Tuesday June 30th Cities benefit from AT&T settement. WOW what great news for our police department. The City of Independence if they approve the settlement will get their check in December. Now the city manager and the city council don't need the sales tax. That was great news for our police department or was it??? $2.4 million that should be prayers answered for our police department!!!
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I hate to rain on your parade, but say the city should choose to use it on police protection and say 30 officers at a guess of $50000/yr equates to $1.5 million. What are you going to do the year after next? It needs dedicated long term monitered committment
Dshrout Did you know that 3/8cent sales tax is an estimated 6 million dollar tax increase. I want all the answers I can get my hands on before I vote on this one issue. I am not made of money. We should all want answers. It's how we make an educated decision. We need more information before we vote. Asking questions should not make anyone feel like we are against law enforcement. We are against wasting money and resources. Our city is charging a franchise fee on all of our utilities. In the state of Missouri, Riverside is the only other city that does this. That franchise fee grows with not just all our utility bills but it grows with every connect and disconnect in our city. It grows with every bounced check people write for any of the utilities they pay. Now we add AT&T to that mix. There are far to many unanswered questions at this time to make an intelligent decision.
At first blush sounds like you're wanting to turn over every stone and look for existing money to fund your brand of 'best use' of our taxpayers dollars. Nothing wrong with that if you've got the power. As for the $6 million I'm not sure of the usages other than the 30 officers everyone wants, but they'll need cars. The radio communications seem to be a biggie. But like I told civil the tax has to have a defined quanatative use that can be sold to the public and reviewed at the end of the sunset and be re-voted on so the people see the value or let it expire. If the figure is $6 million at 3/8% and the acutal funding needs only $4-5 million make it .25% sales tax. That's pretty simple. Otherwise if your mindset is to do nothing different my suggestion is rename that river in Indep the "Little Boo Hoo River" and continue to cry a river about addressing the public safety issue.
Cute little blog dshrout. I don't think we will need to rename that river in Independence "Little Boo Hoo River." I think people all around us have had enough of crime. The signs are all around us. Look at all the empty property. It stands empty because crime and public safety issues have not been addressed as much as they need to. Sure most of the city officials have seen my tears. You can't shame me with colorful words. I have been asked whats in it for me to put light on the problems we are forced to live with. I have to ask what is in it for anyone to see us deteriorate??? I just don't get it.
No shame intended, just a little half hearted attempt at a little humor. But if you truly feel the empty buildings and deterioration of the area is a direct result of crime because of public safety the sales tax would be the cheapest investment you can make at this point, What has it cost you in property values at this point? But you're wanting to go get lost in the weeds on how the money is already there and just needs to be correctly appropriated. Civil made the best arguement of the out of towners will pay the bulk of the sales tax that will be generated. I would prefer a sunset provision though. Question: Do you think it will get worse, better or stay the same if the sales tax fails as it relates to the value of your property and personal safety?
First I would just like to say I am honored that someone from Blue Springs is so interested in Independence. The truth is we have this invisible line that runs through our city. If you do your home work you do not want to be on the wrong side of that line. We have been told over and over again the problems we have are systemic and the police department can't do anything about the crime we live with. If that is the case no amount of money will help us. This is just about the break down of the family and the system as I understand it. You can call it getting lost in the weeds we have a right to know about our money. Why do you have a problem with that?
No one has been more vocal on transparency and a sunset provision for accoutability of how money will be spent. You remind me of a dear friend of mine who would spend 3-4 years shopping for a car trying to figure out who, what, when, where, why to make a totally informed decision. Bottom line, he didn't want to pay for the car he needed until he had absolutely convinced himself there was no other option. I miss that guy. He died a couple of months after his doctor told him he needed bypass surgery and he hadn't yet convinced himself. He was lost in the weeds. The same unsolvable social problems you speak of with the city are the same issues the schools deal with probably more up close and personal than the city. Yet, we spend more money on Head Start, A+, alternative and vocational schools and other programs to try to deal with 50% divorce rates, 70% out of wedlock births and whatever other issues you can think of as irretrivable moral decay. But, as we look for social remedys to the underlying issues I see no other alternatives than spending more money, unless you're ready to admit defeat. Your mystical invisible line runs through the country.
Oh no I would never admit to defeat. People don't fail they give up. The story about the invisible line came from someone I respect from the court system. You may call it my mystical invisible line but it's there. I understand that families are broken along with our court system. We need remedys that work and we need the best bang for the buck. Money runs out!!! Every friday how many banks close their doors. Last friday 30 bank doors closed. We need to find what works before we pour money into it from the poor. If you always do what you've always done, You will always get what you've always got. I want more for my money and I want to know what my money is going to. I LOVE Total Transparency. I am not lost in the weeds I just think we need to do some weeding in this town. My side of the invisible line could be as charming as the other side all we need is the right leadership and bunch more weeds pulled. xox
I don't think we're that far apart on the need for funding provided there is transparancy, accountability and a sunset provision. The thing as proposed at this point is lame at best. In Raashes article he references in 'letter to the editor' you've got a council member saying the main need is funding for officers and there's all kinds of money today for capital expendatures. Next sentance is the 3/8% tax is for capital expendatures for the sub-stations, cars and communication equipment. Sounds like they need to go to the Elms and hire a facilitator to get everyone on the same page.
Go to the city web site, council agendas and do an agenda search for past 6 months. Select May 19 and scroll down to sellect the ordinance for the tax. You will note it is standard nomenclature specifying following "but not limited to" list of goodies.
Looks like standard 'lawyered up' boiler plate language. Has anyone been given a reasonable explanation why we can't get a written sunset provision with a specific transparent use of exactely what the money is spent on? Other than they want a unilateral "take it or leave it" ordinance. They have no problem writing complex TIFF funding with its EATS and PILOTS when they're splitting that pie or specific usage CID's, TDD's and NID's. The taxpayer should expect no less.
BINGO now you get it!!! xox
Kansas City, Goodman, Rolla, columbia, grandview,
All of the above also have franchise fees. It's extremely common.
A quick Google search shows that Liberty and Blue Springs also have franchise fees on all utilities, I would say there are more in Missouri if you researched enough. Your credibility suffers each time you make these statements.
http://mo-liberty.civicplus.com/index.aspx?SID=315
http://www.bluespringsgov.com/FAQ.aspx?QID=144
Fernglen thanks for your Google search. For your own information I understand credibility trust and a reputation are to be treasured. Your Google search has helped me understand to search out some things it only takes a few movements on my keyboard. I blog because this is a great way to try and find the truth. The truth is hard to find. You see all the names people go by on the blogs. Why would anyone go by a made up name? Why is it so hard to understand where all of the money goes in Independence? Why is it so hard to find answers? The answers to most of these questions is simple. It's because people don't want you to know who they are or were our money goes. I don't hide behind made up names. Credibility is earned and it takes time to build. My family, friends and my customers know they can trust me. Your right I did not do a Google search on franchise fees. I should have and I will the next time I blog. Thanks for making me a better blogger.
Does it help that according to the city poop about the last tax levy for streets, about 40% is paid by out -of-towners. How much of that $6M will come out of your pocket? My discetionary income isn't all that big. I expect to pay maybe $450 per year. Pretty cheap for a good nights sleep.
I am at work, but do not know how to naviagate the article you are referring to. Would you please indicate the link or copy and paste, so I can read it?
Try this: http://www.examiner.net/archive/x1885875026/Cities-will-benefit-from-AT-T-settlement. And it wont fund the police for more than a year. The sales tax is necessary for long term commitment.
Thanks Civil, What do you think about it?
I don't know what to think. It is inadequate for long term police, so it should go to some other use, maybe funding help and supplies at the Animal Shelter.
Sure the animals have drinking fountains in some of the special parks and soon they will have heated dog runs and a First Class Dog House thanks to people that thinks like Civil. We need all of this STUFF much more than public safety. How do they find the money to get things that are not truly needed. Thats how they need to fund public safety. May God Help Us because public safety is on the bottom of all this STUFF. If you are the destitute disabled on Medicaid because you are not a LUCKY DOG you need to wait for residential placement in Jackson County because the dogs come before you and your needs. I Love dogs but good grief.
Well,Elisa, you have made your feelings about animals quite clear. Now, given that $2.4M is not ample for long term police funding, what would you like to see the wind fall used to do? Do you have any constructive suggestions? You have gone on record as being opposed to a tax for police manpower, but you have offered no alternative funding sources. We would all like to hear your thoughts about just where in the city budget there is enough "fat" that some program can be cut to fund the police.
Well you should know how I feel about dogs cause I was one of the few who went out in the snow looking for a friends dog. I not only made calls and walked around I brought the DOG HOME!!! xox
Did you go for the dog's sake or because Mminnoe needed help? I think it is great of you either way, but I frankly wonder if it were my dog would you be here?
Yea Civil I'm pretty sure she would....
U wouldn't even have to ask,,,,,,
just let her know there is a problem,,
We could start out with the $191,500 it costs to hold this single issue vote! I do not have this kind of money to waste but obviously they do! Money could probably be found in efficiency if this is any indication!
The Police Department budget for 08-09 is $22M. That figures out to $100,000 per employee. We need 30 more cops. that's 30 x $100K =$3M? You are about $2.9M short. Dig deeper.
can u spell .......BUS SERVICE ?
......the public transportation in this city and the surrounding cities is a joke compared to most metropolitan cites of similar size.....everything here is designed to drive around and through the city...in your giant SUV.............and now it's too expensive to catch up........we're DECADES behind......if you don't live on Troost and need to go to Prospect......you're in trouble here.....wanna go to Blue Springs from Independence?.........hope you have a couple hours or so.....so you can go downtown KC first.......or take a hundred transfers......and then you better be done in the afternoon or you'll miss the last bus........
eldoggg
Yes!
That would be the most logical place for that money at this time. I agree 100%.