Thursday, December 21, 2017

The Circus Around The Independence Square

“There is a circus around politics.  But if you think its a game, then you forget what the purpose of politics actually is” (quote by Johann Lamont, former Scottish Labor Party leader).  Calls for more integrity and an end to the circus are coming except that we have an entirely alternative meaning for the word, “integrity.”  A campaign fund labeled “Integrity in Law Enforcement” was allegedly used as Mike Sanders’ own personal piggy bank, as reported by the KC Star, and used to write checks to his political cohorts including those at the very top in Independence City Hall.  The irony and hypocrisy over the use of the word “integrity" is typical Independence politics.  Sanders also had ties to several law firms including Humphrey Farrington McClain (HFM) who actually hired Mike after he abandon his elected post after only a single year into his term as the highest elected official in Jackson County government.  Mike also served as leader of the Missouri Democratic Party which as been loosing ground in Jefferson City.  As an employee of HFM, Mike was seen on TV news programs pushing the Farmer’s Market project and redevelopment on the Square which, of course, benefitted the personal investments of his employer.  The Second District Councilman who was enlisted to lead the Downtown Redevelopment Coordinating Committee also allegedly received contributions from “Integrity in Law Enforcement.”  His hand-picked committee follows the current trend of excluding history and preservation stakeholders in spite of the fact that the Square is a National Historic Landmark District, a designation of highest importance to the nation and it’s 325 million citizens.  As for all of Mike’s accomplices and enablers, they are still out there.  Keep in mind that here in Independence, you can actually serve time in the federal penitentiary and still have a life practicing law.  Yes, there is a future for Mike at HFM.  In his absence, I'll close with a quote from one of my favorite philosophers and comedians, George Carlin, “Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.”  And so the circus continues and we all have ring-side seats.  And you thought Santa-Cali-Gon was the only carnival on the Square!

 

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Silverstein Eye Center Arena Lacks Vision

It took 10 years to final get the financing and operations of the Silverstein Eye Center Arena, formerly known as the Independence Events Center, audited.  No, it wasn’t an internal audit.  The independent review came from Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway.  It appears the city has been pulling the proverbial “Zamboni” on local taxpayers not unlike the “Pain in the Crackerneck” we got from the Bass Pro development upstream in the Little Blue Valley.  Findings indicate some of the obvious such as conflicts of interest by the Community Improvement District (CID) Board represented by mostly city employees and an executive from a local bank with ties to City Hall leadership.  The CID Board is supposed to make judgements on how much to tax and how much to give City Hall for administering the CID.  It appears the CID Board gave away its responsibilities back to the city who controlled all aspects of the planning, design, construction, financing, and operations of the Events Center.  This presented unique opportunities for City Hall to raise taxes without a public vote and to fill voids in a city budget that’s on “thin ice” using funds dedicated to the CID and the Events Center.  The City took advantage of the situation inflating their fees 10 times the market rate for administering the CID, according the audit.  With the current system, there is no incentive to be efficient and successful.  When you come up short, just raise taxes.  With Bass Pro, the Event Center, and, coming to a Square near you, the $3 million Farmer’s Market, all founded on the old sports cliché, “Build it & they will come” (I thought the public servant motto was “Protect & Serve”), this completes the “Hat Trick” to the taxpayers of Independence.  Next project, a “Penalty Box” for City Hall.