By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
It's time for Emanuel Cleaver to step up and help his Kansas City-based district pay for one of its highest priorities.
Cleaver needs to get a lot more vocal and active in campaigning for federal funds to help fix our sewers.
He needs to get the U.S. government to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in so-called green-collar jobs, repairing a basic piece of infrastructure in Kansas City.
And he has to convince his colleagues that now is the time to invest in a jobs program that actually produces something -- a sewer system that will serve more than 650,000 people for years to come.
Taking this step could reduce the financial burden on his constituents -- many of them poor -- who are going to struggle to pay sewer bills that could quadruple without a significant infusion of federal funds in the years to come.
Unfortunately, Cleaver so far has not stepped forward with this kind of aggressive approach.
In fact, here's what today's Star said on Cleaver's involvement, even after City Council members Jan Marcason, John Sharp and Russ Johnson wrote to him and others in our congressional delegation seeking federal funds:
"Danny Rotert, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, said Cleaver was aware of the request. Rotert said a stimulus package probably wouldn’t be acted on until next year, and it was too soon to know whether money might be available. But Rotert said there was interest in the new Congress in providing money for vital infrastructure projects."
Great, but let's get beyond "interest" in making these funds available.
Let's hear Cleaver -- and, to be fair, Kit Bond, Claire McCaskill and Sam Graves, all of of whom help represent the KC area -- actively campaign for federal funding.
Let's hear them demand that tax dollars be plowed into this essential and important infrastructure program in KC.
Delicious
Digg
How can the Federal
How can the Federal Government continue to provide money that does not exists for much needed infrastructure improvements, such as sewers?
We are paying for a bailout bill that does not have controls to ensure the money is spent to resolve the credit crunch rather than helping Wall Street. The companies should be accounting for every penny they spend. Management salaries should be reduced to what the average American makes. AIG had parties and trips to Europe on bailout money.
Even though Cleaver's district voted for Obama over Clinton during the primary, Cleaver not only continued to endorse Clinton, he also made negative comments about Obama. Kansas City voted overwhelmingly for Obama during the primary.
Did Cleaver campaign for Obama? He might have, but I did not hear about it.
We are spending 400 million dollars a day on the war in Iraq, a war without justification that has resulted in the death of millions of innocent people. A war that General Petraeus said in September 2008 will never be declared a "win."
The cost of the wars is not included in the huge US deficit
The growing dependence on Chinese cash is granting Beijing extraordinary sway over the U.S. economy. Analysts say a decision by China to move out of U.S. government bonds, for economic or political reasons, could lead a herd of other investors to follow suit. That would drive up the cost of U.S. borrowing, jeopardizing Washington's ability to fund, among other things, a stimulus package to jump-start the economy. If China were to stop buying or, worse, start selling U.S. debt, it would also quickly raise interest rates on a variety of loans in the United States, analysts say.
China's investment in U.S. Treasury bonds surged by $43.6 billion to $585 billion in September, pulling ahead of the Japan, which now holds $573.2 billion worth. Overall, analysts say China's holdings may be $800 billion or more. China is thought to be purchasing U.S. debt through third countries, purchases that are not immediately recorded by the Treasury as being held by China, analysts say.
In contrast to Japan, one of the United States' closest allies, China is seen as less benevolent to U.S. interests. Many economists are concerned about U.S. reliance on China for funding. By buying Treasury bonds, which are denominated in dollars, China is able to keep the dollar strong compared with the yuan. As a result, Chinese exports are cheaper relative to U.S. exports.
http://tinyurl.com/65pn88
I support McCaskill's position on earmarks. Funding should be passed by Congress in bills rather than hidden in bills to get votes from certain members of Congress.
The Republicans would not vote for the second bailout plan until earmarks were added to get their vote.
The Missouri House delegation voted 5-4 for the new version of the bill, including Republicans Roy Blunt and Jo Ann Emerson and Democrats Russ Carnahan, Emanuel Cleaver and Ike Skelton in favor of the bill. Reps. Kenny Hulshof, Todd Akin and Sam Graves, all Republicans, and Democrat William Lacy Clay, voted against the bill.
http://tinyurl.com/5fqdlb
While some of the earmarks were probably for good things, others were things that a country with a financial crisis should not approve.
In an attempt to woo recalcitrant House Republicans to vote for the $700 billion economic bailout bill, senators loaded it up with earmarks.
The $150 billion of earmarks included:
$2 million tax benefit for makers of wooden arrows for children;
$100 million tax break to benefit auto racetrack owners;
$192 million in rebates on excise taxes for the Puerto Rican and Virgin Islands rum industry;
$148 million in tax relief for U.S. wool fabric producers; and
$49 million tax benefit for fishermen and other plaintiffs who sued over the 1989 tanker Exxon Valdez spill
Washington Post:
With Bailout Vote, McCain Voted for Earmarks
Curious - just when the hell
Curious - just when the hell did KC ever 'need' E. Cleaver? I don't even know where to begin laughing at you, Yael, for making this dumb title. What the hell were you thinking, that ANYONE would need Cleaver, except himself?
Cuz you just did it for me
Thanks Oneobserver!
Do you really think any meaningful funds are forthcoming?
I seriously doubt that anything more than a token amount of money will find its way from Washington to Kansas City.
Don't waste time talking to McKaskill. First of all, she has been very vocal about opposing any and all earmarks, and that is the most likely way Kansas City will get any money.
Secondly, even if there were federal funds, it comes from the federal taxpayers -- us. Granted, the source of the money may be spread over a larger taxpayer base, but it is still our taxes.
I fear articles like this one serve little purpose other than to raise false hopes among the ratepayers who fund the Water Service Department that there is some magical silver bullet that is going to save them from the inevitable.
While it appears sewer rates may quadruple over the next 14 years, look at why that is going to happen. The Kansas City council for 10 years did not raise sewer or water rates at all, not even to keep up with inflation. As a result, the Water Services Department had no choice but to defer maintenance. Now it is time to pay the piper. You have enjoyed over a decade of sewer and water rates well below those in other Cities of the size of Kansas City and of other Cities in our region.
Sooner or later, these politically motivated actions to please the voters will come back to require some consideration of reality.
Where have you been twas_was?
The sewer plan has been discussed in numberous public meetings, reported on (somewhat) by the Star, and has been discussed in Council meetings for the last four years.
YES, the plan does include the northland. There are a substantial number of problems with leaking and overwhelmed sewers in the northland and this plan includes money to address those issues. Go to the City web site, Water Department page and you can download or read on line the extensive work planned for the northland.
As for Johnson County, that issue is also addressed. While Johnson County does already pay Kansas City for treatment of a portion of its wastewater, the additional costs anticipated to upgrade storage to meet the growing demands of Johnson County are also addressed in the plan - it explains what Kansas City expects of Johnson County for it to continue to use the City's sewers and treatment plant.
Why not take a little time to attend meetings in your neighborhood when these issues are discussed. And, YES, there were public meetings held all across the northland and they were well advertized. Why not take a little time to learn what is planned?
Is North of the River part of it?
I'm curious. Does any of the sewer project touch north of the river? I haven't heard specifically, but I thought this was a project that was specific to south of the river. I could be wrong.
But where I am going with this is Yael's inclusion of Sam Graves helping out, since the 6th district does not appear to include any of KC south of the river.
Also, how much of Johnson County's turds flow into KC? Maybe they should pay by the turd.