Kansas City just made it to another Top Cities in America list…
Wallet Hub has declared KC as the 5th worst run city in the country.
They judged 65 of the most populated U.S. cities on three key expenditures. The good end of the scale was based on who got the highest returns on their money spent for Education, Police and Parks & Recreation.
*** The equation for education was based on money spent per capita vs standardized test scores.
*** The equation for police was a bit more complicated. The calculation was based on crime rates and per-capita expenditures after normalizing the data by poverty rate, unemployment rate and median household income.
*** The equation for parks and rec was based on total parkland acreage within city limits vs total Parks & Recreation expenditures.
Kansas City did not fare well in any category.
It seems like most discussion revolved around whether we are being taxed too much or too little. Many of the discussions centered on who is paying or not paying enough.
It’s a totally different conversation when they look at how the money we have is being misspent.
Calvin Coolidge
Do we need more taxes or do we need leadership that demands better deals for our money? Can we identify where money is being overspent or even missing? Are we asking for repayment from or penalties from the culprits?
That kind of financial responsibility is as overlooked as a Calvin Coolidge inaugural address.
“I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical form.” – Calvin Coolidge, 1925
“This (2015-16) budget reflects the very prudent and responsible Citywide Business Plan approved by the City Council last year.” – Sly James 2015
Average Standardized Test Scores: 44.04%;
Education Expenditures per Capita : $1,428
Surprised KC wasn’t lower.
Sly, however, has no hand in that – it’s all the state.
Or, you know, not…
I know it is more complicated than Sly, but he wanted the job.
These are his years to own. I haven’t seen him worry about spending.
I have seen him push for new taxes.
Anyone really surprised at the results?
problem is that we havethat state line running down the middle of a great city..
with the kanssans not wanting to do anything on the Missouri side.
If you see the expansion on the Kansas side going on….and its huge…
you would understand why kcmo is ranked as it is.
All the money and jobs are headed to Kansas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
while I’m no historian, I have lived in the area most of my 62 years. while I agree that KS, in particular the counties and cities that border KCMO, have not helped to a great extent (bi-state tax cooperation for Union Station notwithstanding), the greater problem is that Kansas City and Jackson County have, for the longest time, squandered opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to be a greater city than it is.
and I can’t remember the last KCMO city council that wasn’t accused to some degree or another of greed, corruption and misuse of funds.
toy train anyone?
As I pointed out in the Kay Barnes story a city moving backwards and fast.
Um, you know that Calvin Coolidge’s economic policies helped cause the Great Depression, right?
We don’t want pesky things like truth to get in the way of our narratives. Buzz off.
Oh yes, the municipal and financial policy experts at “WalletHub.”
Where you moving to? When? And if not, why? If you hate it here you should leave and do us ALL a favor. One less whiner.
Wallet Hub is about as truthful and reliable as the Clintons.
I just wanted to do a cool picture of Sly. I didn’t like the last one I did. 🙂
I remember around 30 years ago Blue Springs was the suburb to flight to, or Lee’s Summit. Independence wasn’t very nice but it was probably the most fun. But all that got old and Overland Park became the new new place to flee to.
Still, I don’t know if I could live on the Kansas side, ugh.