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I've been a resident of Kansas for 28 years.. I've lived all over Kansas.. Including Salina, Wichita, Manhattan. When you speak on the ills of Kansas, you have it completely right. Kansas has never addressed growing its economy outside of Northeast Kansas and primarily Johnson county. If anyone really thinks it is ok for a metro area to grow and prosper and just relocate businesses a few miles away so they can pay less local taxes to the region as a whole is just plain in la la land and is totally delusional
I am a college graduate from Kansas State, and have had issues galore finding stable employment in this state. I feel like the politicians in Kansas (and for that matter everywhere) are out to pad their numbers for themselves and not out to help common residents whatsoever. What is increasingly frustrating about Kansas is how the state is not addressing issues for so many residents and places.
1. Kansas has given very little help to Wichita and has repeatedly given far more clout to the KC area politically and economically. Wichita is starting to really hurt economically with major plants closing or relocating, and major employers outsourcing. Even if the economy recovers quickly and strongly (which is highly unlikely anytime soon) Wichita will not gain these jobs back. This can be blamed for on Wichita leadership too, but will hurt the state of Kansas greatly. So why is it never addressed statewide??
2. Topeka has been given a reputation as being a complete ghetto with high crime and many people are ashamed of it. It has improved a little but still has many struggles with various issues and its going to be a small miracle if Topeka can ever get rid of these issues and that stigma.
3. Outside of Lawrence (which is indirectly helped by KC) and El Dorado (helped by Wichita but who knows for how long) and Manhattan, (helped by a big military increase) Most Kansas towns are struggling and hurting badly and losing population rapidly. People my age are leaving in droves and do not want to be here. People my age are starting to wake up to the fact of how poorly this state has been run and do not want to be associated with it anymore. We have many towns in this state that have only an older population. What are these towns going to consist of in 30 years if we do not address this? Are we going to still just bribe a few Kansas City Missouri businesses to cover up the ongoing issues to make it look good?
Kansas has to learn to serve ALL its citizens. First off, Johnson County is slowly being exposed.. You cannot continue to support schools, roads, etc... if you are letting businesses come in with such high incentives your state and local area do not profit. This is economics 101.. If you need another example: Its what our country has been doing fiscally the last 30+ years and thats really working out well (notice my sarcasm)
The entire KC area needs to make a regional partnership of equal representation of all counties in the KCMO metro area and they work on working together. It may be painful and have some issues, but this beats the bickering that has gone on for years and helps the region. Keep the rivalry between sports rivals, and even citizens if they want, but please for the sake of the metro and the gain of BOTH states, work together..
With that said, if things stay as they have been, I will gladly be a Missouri resident before way long. I know Missouri has issues, I'm not claiming its perfect by any means, but I can not support a state I've lived in my whole life that continues to do this. It speaks volumes when I am someone who really loves Kansas nature, Kansas weather, has powerful Kansas connections, family, friends is really thinking about leaving this state.
Interesting angle that doesn't get much attention in these forums.
Rural areas of many states have the same issues. A situation that certainly needs attention. Not everyone wants to, or should have to, live in a large metropolitan area
With a national unemployment rate hovering around 10%, we should concentrate on creating new jobs instead of luring them from other cities... nearby and otherwise. I don't think I would really be on board with trying to lure jobs from Dallas or Omaha unless a company was hideously unhappy with their situation there, or the logistics in KC were very much more favorable to them.
But Johnson County must be some super corporate edge city, no matter what damage they inflict on others, including the very city that put the county on the map in the first place! It must happen! Why should KCMO and Dallas have all the companies, it's not fair!
Great post and I completely agree. I just said that if JoCo is going to snag companies using massive incentives, then at least bring them in from out of state. But this is rare.
An example of this I have seen here in DC is where a defense contractor was lured to suburban DC from California. Why? Not because they wanted the cash (which was less than what KS throws around), but because their primary goal was to get closer to their primary client. The federal government. This same suburb does not go after existing companies in DC or other suburbs though. The incentives were truly used to bring in and RELOCATE an entire company and their employees from 2500 miles away and chances are good that the company would not have survived staying in CA anyway. It was a special circumstance.
It was not Arlington, VA (just across the river) offering 30 million dollars to move an office from Downtown DC. That would be very counterproductive and create major problems down the road for any future cooperation between the District and Arlington or VA. See Kansas City...
The few catches that JoCo has landed from out of town have been nothing more than call centers which come and go anyway.
Why not take it slower and just let local companies do their thing. Garmin is an example of this and while I wish Sprint had more to do with the urban core, they too are an example. It's not necessary for KS to aggressively go after companies like AMC in Kansas City, MO.
What is to gain by lining 435 with office parks filled with companies that were once in KCMO? Companies that were in a central location to all of the metro area. Companies that once paid taxes. Taxes that go to all the EXISTING infrastructure that is already built. Taxes that help fund the zoo, stadiums, museums, transit etc that the central city provides to suburbs which leads to a higher quality of life for residents of metropolitan KC no matter where they live. What is to gain by having office parks and six lane streets in suburbia while the central city goes from exciting and vibrant and enticing to dead and decaying and blightened.
If the central city is dead, how does that help JoCo recruit residents and businesses? People stay in JoCo hotels when they visit KCMO attractions. People are more likely to move to Overland Park if there are venues like the Truman Sports Complex and Sprint Center and Performing Arts Center nearby.
What exactly is wrong with being a suburb and having call centers and whatever home grown companies that evolve there over time? Why does the county find the need to aggressively go after existing businesses in KCMO?
And when Johnson County is "invited" to play the unfortunate KS vs MO game, stop ABUSING the incentive tools you have. Offer some standard property tax breaks. Fine. But to throw tens of millions of dollars at a developer or company to build in some suburban office park or fill some empty building for the sake of "new" employees is abuse and absurd.
Without offering incentives, you already have the upper hand. It's already much cheaper to do business in the burbs. Cheap spread out office parks and surface parking lots vs the dense urban areas that require structured parking and redevelopment in most cases.
Even with incentives and Kansas not using them, KCMO can not typically match or offset the savings of doing business in a suburban office park.
But then KS uses incentives that are tens times that of what KCMO can offer. Incentives that were originally intended for REDEVELOPENT or NEW JOBS not suburban sprawl at the expense of a city 10 miles away.
Doing a quick search on the AMC website and searching the Jackson County Records, it looks like most of the executives live in the Brookside/Plaza Area and about 3-4 live in Leawood/Overland Park. I bet they end up moving to the plaza, that would be my guess.
The reason I did that post was to vent frustrations of what I've dealt with.. Believe it or not, Most of Kansas does not like Johnson county either.. Its not just a Kansas City or Missouri thing..
To add to that, I was really frustrated when Sam Brownback was elected governor in this state so easily. He is so far to the right I really think it will alienate even more people and hurt this state's image even more. Its really been frustrating being here, and WANTING to be here, but feeling like the only area I may have to grow in this state is in Johnson County when I am against 90% of what has made Johnson county exist to begin with
And other reasons why AMC moves to the Plaza.
The CEO owns a condo on 46th and Jarboe valued at around 900,000. This would be walking distance from the West Edge Development where they were speculated to be moving too.
Also,
To entertain Hollywood types when those move stuido/producer big wigs meet in KC, why would they want to entertain at some chain place in Overland Park, when that kind of stuff already exists in LA. The dining options are endless in the Plaza/Midtown/Downtown Area.
With a national unemployment rate hovering around 10%, we should concentrate on creating new jobs instead of luring them from other cities... nearby and otherwise. I don't think I would really be on board with trying to lure jobs from Dallas or Omaha unless a company was hideously unhappy with their situation there, or the logistics in KC were very much more favorable to them.
So if a company is "hideously unhappy" with their situation in downtown KC and the majority of their employees live in JoCo, THEN is it okay for JoCo to make them an offer?
I'm betting there will be a reason not ...
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Originally Posted by kcmo
Why not take it slower and just let local companies do their thing.
Yes, "Complacency" - that's the motto of every successful venture!!
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If the central city is dead, how does that help JoCo recruit residents and businesses?
The central city isn't going to be "dead".
But it may well have to change direction and focus in order to survive and remain an "anchor".
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What exactly is wrong with being a suburb and having call centers and whatever home grown companies that evolve there over time?
Again, this is the attitude from the MO side that makes JoCo not give a rip what MO thinks.
"Why can't you just be satisfied being a bedroom community and a small time corporate player?"
"KC wants to be the big player! So stop succeeding, JoCo! Stop stealing our thunder!"
Are you kidding me? JoCo is filled with ambitious and driven business people who didn't get to be where they are by being satisfied with "ho hum". That mentality flows into the local governments.
OP set out to become a major player among corporate suburbs. They have succeeded. In part by picking the low hanging fruit of KC's complacency. But mostly as the result of focused and ambitious leadership.
Rather than whining, KC could take a lesson. But here we are ...
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Why does the county find the need to aggressively go after existing businesses in KCMO?
According to you, they don't:
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Originally Posted by kcmo
Even with incentives and Kansas not using them, KCMO can not typically match or offset the savings of doing business in a suburban office park.
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But then KS uses incentives that are tens times that of what KCMO can offer. Incentives that were originally intended for REDEVELOPENT or NEW JOBS not suburban sprawl at the expense of a city 10 miles away.
So what do you care? If you are right, then JoCo and KS are just shooting themselves in the foot and will fail sooner as a result.
Doing a quick search on the AMC website and searching the Jackson County Records, it looks like most of the executives live in the Brookside/Plaza Area and about 3-4 live in Leawood/Overland Park. I bet they end up moving to the plaza, that would be my guess.
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Originally Posted by brewcrew1000
And other reasons why AMC moves to the Plaza.
The CEO owns a condo on 46th and Jarboe valued at around 900,000. This would be walking distance from the West Edge Development where they were speculated to be moving too.
Also,
To entertain Hollywood types when those move stuido/producer big wigs meet in KC, why would they want to entertain at some chain place in Overland Park, when that kind of stuff already exists in LA. The dining options are endless in the Plaza/Midtown/Downtown Area.
You are only proving that AMC had......HAD no interest in Kansas. It's a KCMO company run mostly by KCMO residents with very long roots and ties to urban KCMO.
But we are talking about 20 million, 50 million, 10 million, whatever in incentives being offered by Kansas. That's a LOT of money.
Now you have a KCMO company looking at Kansas...again.
Not because they want to. Because now they HAVE to. They would be stupid not to take a serious look at Kansas. Is AMC publicly traded? If so, what will shareholders think if AMC turns down tens of millions of free money from Kansas to move 5 miles west?
Those CEOs that live in Brookside and the Plaza? You don't think they would consider a commute to JoCo if it meant they will get a million dollar bonus or some other fringe benefit of taking the bait?
This is a company that needs to stay in KCMO. A company that wants to stay in KCMO. A company that would have stayed in KCMO.
The reason I did that post was to vent frustrations of what I've dealt with.. Believe it or not, Most of Kansas does not like Johnson county either.. Its not just a Kansas City or Missouri thing..
I've lived in KS quite a bit longer than you have. Most of KS doesn't give JoCo a second thought. I've not met anyone who harbored the kind of resentment I've seen from MO.
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To add to that, I was really frustrated when Sam Brownback was elected governor in this state so easily. He is so far to the right I really think it will alienate even more people and hurt this state's image even more.
I'm with you on that one. It's pretty sad that the guy didn't even have to campaign. He simply ran on the platform of "Obama sucks" But that was enough for the majority of Kansans
I'm just hoping we can get through his term without becoming a laughing stock again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brewcrew1000
And other reasons why AMC moves to the Plaza.
The CEO owns a condo on 46th and Jarboe valued at around 900,000. This would be walking distance from the West Edge Development where they were speculated to be moving too.
Also,
To entertain Hollywood types when those move stuido/producer big wigs meet in KC, why would they want to entertain at some chain place in Overland Park, when that kind of stuff already exists in LA. The dining options are endless in the Plaza/Midtown/Downtown Area.
You mean we will have argued about all this crap again for nothing????
The reason I did that post was to vent frustrations of what I've dealt with.. Believe it or not, Most of Kansas does not like Johnson county either.. Its not just a Kansas City or Missouri thing..
To add to that, I was really frustrated when Sam Brownback was elected governor in this state so easily. He is so far to the right I really think it will alienate even more people and hurt this state's image even more. Its really been frustrating being here, and WANTING to be here, but feeling like the only area I may have to grow in this state is in Johnson County when I am against 90% of what has made Johnson county exist to begin with
But Johnson County is not the capital, Topeka is. Topeka is very much a part of the problem.
Maybe because those in Topeka are there because they were elected primarily via JoCo voters?
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But that was enough for the majority of Kansans 
