By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Here are some of the controversial parts of KC's new $2.4 billion sewer funding plan, scheduled for discussion Wednesday by a citizens task force.
-- Residents and businesses that can afford to pay their wastewater bills will be asked to pay even higher charges so poor people can pay less.
The task force proposal states, "Kansas City should reduce the high burden of increased rates on low-income households through a program that allows these households to pay less for service than other households more able to pay."
Normally, this "spread the pain" approach might not attract much attention. However, the city's current plan calls for wastewater rates to quadruple in the next 12 to 14 years.
So even "well off" Kansas Citians are going to be paying much larger sewer bills in the future.
-- The new task force plan does not support asking voters to quickly pass a sales-tax increase.
That's been one of the ideas broached before, because a tax imposed on people who visit KC could be used to reduce sky-high wastewater charges on residents.
Instead, the task force plan recommends that the City Council simply consider "the future implementation of a sales tax to pay for wastewater capital in the combined sewer area and major stormwater projects."
The task force also rules out asking for higher property taxes or earnings taxes. That makes sense, because they aren't politically viable.
Finally, the task force properly supports asking the federal and state governments for a lot more funding.
So far, however, other governments have not pledged large amounts of money for this project.
In other words, the burden of paying for the sewer upgrades right now is going to rest almost squarely on Kansas City's residents and businesses.
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HMMMM, Grinch.
I read your reply and started to reply to it when it dissapeared. But, anyway, you are correct that the Census Bureau does not contain information specific to individuals, but it does give the City a good idea of the number of households by Census district that may qualify for such a rate. I suspect the program, when implemented, will rely on some form of self reporting and application so that those who believe they qualify for rate relief will submit the necessary information to support their request. I do not believe it will involve any sort of mass review of tax returns.
The Feds, KCGRH,
are masters at mandating... not so much at funding. Don't misunderstand... I laud the goal, just fault the process.
No, Grinch. The City does not want or need to look
at tax returns. The Census Bureau publishes lots of data on how many households live below the poverty line and how many rely solely on social security for their total income.
The data is publicly available.
Dear DKC
the mandate is because KC is not in compliance with Federal law.. get in compliance, as other cities do, don't go whining for more money....
sheepish grin - lol
you're right, Chazzy ... damn, one of these days I'll have to start my own blog, but sometimes info in one his posts gets me so stoked!!!
p.s. I fled NJ in 1997 :-)
p.p.s. He's having to expand to make up for the layoffs, I'd suppose. Either that or his psychiatrist forgot to renew his Ritalin prescription.
You broke your own rule Grinch
Though, as a one time resident of the formerly great state of New Jersey, I found the information fascinating.
I continue avoiding Yael's posits but he seems to be expanding his domain....Oh well
Lol - so now KC wants to look at your income tax returns?
How else would they know if you can 'afford' your sewer bill? Well, Obama got caught talking about redistribution of wealth and it looks like the usual KC suspects have picked up on it. I'd like to know how this is fair? Are you going to apply this principle to EVERY service KC provides? If not, why not? Why should the poor pay more for garbage pickup, or heat, or electricity, or water, or most especially food for that matter (oops, I forgot food stamps)? You can extend this concept indefinitely, until the productive flee KC and get the hell out, like they're doing in New Jersey. Eventually people get sick of the welfare state and say "screw you, we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore" ...
from an Oct. 17, 2007 poll:
http://wcbstv.com/local/people.leaving.jersey.2.375879.html
Poll Finds Many Hoping To Leave New Jersey Behind
N.J. Residents Upset With High Property Tax And Cost Of Living
While one recent study found more than 231,000 people have left New Jersey since 2002, a poll released Wednesday found many more would like to follow.
The Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll found 49 percent of New Jersey adults would like to move out of the state, compared to 44 percent who would prefer to stay and 7 percent who are unsure.
The poll found 51 percent of those who want to leave say they're very likely to make good on that wish, with most of those who want to leave adults less than 50 years of age and earning between $50,000 and $100,000 per year.
The report found the state lost 231,565 people between 2002 and 2006, including 72,547 people last year. The latter was the fourth highest loss in the nation behind only California, Louisiana and New York.
When lost income and sales taxes from the people who left New Jersey are considered, the population drain is estimated to have cost the state $680 million in tax revenue last year, the report found.
The latest poll found 28 percent of people wanting to leave citing America's highest property taxes as the leading reason; 19 percent mentioned the state's generally high cost-of-living, with 6 percent citing housing costs and 5 percent citing state taxes.
Dear KCGRH
This mess is mandated by the feds... so they should help pay.
Why is This Other Governments' Responsibility??
Tell me why KC feels morally right in asking either the state or Federal government to GIVE them money to fix THEIR sewers? If ever there was a local problem to be solved with LOCAL money, sewers certainly fit the bill.
The fact that TIF Barnes and Mr. Cleaver didn't do their job and fix these polluting messes years ago is the real tragedy.
No state or federal funds for a local problem!!
Sure...
.... as long as the same rules apply to all those areas that use Kansas City water. This whole process has been bungled from the get go by delay and politics... and, as usual, the people pay the price.