KCMO HOTLINE	.COM
OFF DUTY ?? Making extra money using a free car?	OFF DUTY DOG PATROL Car is running to keep the dog cool while the officer is making a little extra money as a security guard!
	$4.00 A GALLON ??

DOES THE OFFICER PAY FOR THE GAS?? OR DO WE??

Do Not Buy The Kansas City Star Tell every body you know and every Kansas City Star Advertiser that you do not support a paper that will not correct their mistakes and misstatements.   .MARK ESPING IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE KANSAS CITY STAR......... and the way they manage information and manipulate the citizen imput process. The Kansas City Star has put me off in a very poor manner. They published an editorial statement that was totally incorrect even when compared with their own previous reporting. I asked to have that statement corrected with an "As I See It" column. I submitted 496 words. The requirement is under 500 words. I submitted the following and was called and asked for a photo which was sent, they didn't like that photo so I sent another one. It seems that an egalatarian plan of dispensing Art funds is against the common conclusion of what the Star wants to see develop. In a conversation last week I was told that too much time had passed and so it would most probably not be printed. submitted to the Kansas City Star for inclusion as an "As I See It" column by Mark Esping on March 10 2008. The statement which appeared in the Sunday March 9th editorial on regional funding "That plan was hurt by an arts funding plan that wasn't well understood " assumes incorrectly a limited public understanding.  The public understood precisely that the proposal would hand over hundreds of millions of tax dollars to wealthy "arts advocates" who were self appointed to their official positions.  The public understood that Hispanic, African-Americans, new immigrants and leaders from our community centers were not included in the planning and that meant little or NO funding for those constituencies.  The public understood that Missouri law mandates 74+ hours of tax supported art and music education each year for Missouri elementary children and Kansas doesn't.  The public understood that too many groups in Kansas City, have for too long believed that those who vote do not understand. The vote showed that we understood only too well that an arts dynasty was in the making and the public overwhelming said NO.  If we are to achieve regional funding for the arts, precise egalitarian guidelines must be included in the ballot proposal. An overwhelming attempt must be made to balance the inequities that exist across county and state lines and parameters must be set which will preclude the development of an arts aristocracy that will in fact, pick what is art for the metro area. We need arts councils and not-for-profit arts agencies as filters for proposals, but not as the dispensers of public taste or public tax funds. They should function as pass through agencies, with suggestion abilities only.   A Kansas City Metro Regional Arts Proposal needs to: 1. Establish an endowment fund where only the interest is used.   2. Disperse the interest funds in the form of "pass through" grants to not-for-profits who attach their 990's to their pesonal grant requests and a letter of reference for all individual grants they forward to the individual art fund committee.   3. Establish ten designated individual art funds committees, Dance, Exhibitions, Music, Festivals, Folk Arts, Visual Arts, Film, Theater, Ethnic Arts, and Literature each of which would receive 10% of the total funds available. By dividing the funds according to artistic endeavor the diverse citizenry of the Kansas City Metro area will enjoy a diversity of arts programing rather than only the preferences of an elitist group   City Council appointment of 4 persons to each art oversight committee with no pay and only a few meetings would avoid arts administration overhead, the largest area of funding in the last proposal. This system will provide fairness as long as the appointees are changed every couple of years. This system allows for the inclusion of academic art endeavors and popular arts, it allows for individual and group proposals in our community. Each has a place in Kansas City and each should be provided a chance at any Arts funding that takes place with taxpayer money. The public understands and it will require new assurances before passing a regional art proposal.   SOME SIGNS OF THE TIMES    The Following Domain Names are For Sale. NoOnQuestion1.com NoOn Question2.com KCvoter.com NoIcantAffordit.com WereGettingScrewd.com NoNewArena.com KCArena.com MetroIssues.com NAG Letter from The Neighborhood Action Group    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WWW.KCNag.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The KC budget deficit and the sewer tax increases will kill light rail.  The taxpayers of Kansas City will be lucky to have a shirt on their backs after having to pay for Credit Card Kay's party. She maxed our credit card and now we have to pay! The focus of the budget should be accountability and transparency because those were the themes that elected the Mayor.  The accountability should especially pretain to those who are asking for pet projects to be funded. Some areas that sould be examined: Billboard tax on 2% of their revenue. Eliminate general fund allocation for Jackson County Sports Authority. In the Convention and Tourism budget under the Convention and Visitors Association budget(page 75) the Allocation by Expense Category the line is for "Pass Through Payments to Other Agencies."  Who are the other agencies? Question sent to Finance Department February 27,2008 Elimination of Kansas City Election Board.  This is a county function. It is redundant. Reduction or cap on the 1% for art on construction projects. Eliminate regional entertainment budget items: Zoo, Starlight, police for Royals and Chiefs should be paid by Jackson County Sports Authority. All non-profits should be required to submit their 990's to the city to be to quantify how the spend taxpayer money.  Example: Liberty Memorial Association, Friends of the Zoo, Starlight Association. Impact Fees for Developers should be instituted. Bonds could be sold directly by the City List Accounts Receivable on city website. Government should not decided by surveys such as the Red Bridge bridge or thesewer issue.  Eliminate this expense in project costs. Taxes such as the 3/8-cent KCATA should be TIF exempt.  This was promised in 2003 and not corrected. New Sewer taxes must be TIF exempt. All tax and fee increases SHALL BE TIF EXEMPT!  The Bi-State Tax was TIF exempt. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------