Krakatoa brewing
Phil Dillon, Emporia
Thursday, August 26, 2010
In an early August op-ed, Peggy Noonan laid out how many feel about the growing disconnect between “average” Americans and their political, civic, and cultural leaders.
As Noonan put it “But do our political leaders have any sense of what people are feeling deep down? They don’t act as if they do. I think their detachment from how normal people think is more dangerous and disturbing than it has been in the past. I started noticing in the 1980s, the growing gulf between the country’s thought leaders, as they’re called — the political and media class, the universities — and those living what for lack of a better word we’ll call normal lives on the ground in America. The two groups were agitated by different things, concerned about different things, had different focuses, different world views.”
I don’t know what to make of it. At times I feel that events in Washington, D.C. are in a faraway galaxy and there are times when I feel they’re like a huge asteroid poised to crash through the ozone layer. I find myself occasionally thinking back fondly to the days when Ike was the President and I was the stickball champion of Chatham Street. And, there are days when I feel that the serenity of the Flint Hills can protect me from the madness.
Unfortunately, the respite is only temporary. The disconnect is everywhere. There’s no escaping it.
On Aug. 3, the Gazette reported that “Even in tough economic times, 64 percent of Emporia voters agreed to continue a half-cent sales tax for economic development and property tax relief through 2024.”
There are 13,808 registered voters in the city of Emporia. There were 2,156 votes in favor of the extension. The truth is, only 15.6 percent of those registered voted to approve the extension. Why did so few vote? Was RDA president Kent Heerman right when he claimed “it looks like voters were very interested in continuing industrial and economic development and property tax relief ”? Or, could it be that we’re seeing detachment and disenchantment played out locally?
In the wake of the vote, Steve Sauder thanked “the very astute voters in Emporia for extending the 1/2-cent sales tax through 2024.” Where does that leave those who voted no?
Apparently, they’re not very astute. What about those who didn’t vote?
Feeling disconnected? Were they thinking, “What’s the point? The deck is stacked”?
Last week, the city commission approved a budget with a gaping $750,000 hole. Among the line items that escaped the hatchet was a $250,000 subsidy to the municipal golf course. The prevailing argument in favor of the subsidy was that quality-of-life things like the golf course make Emporia appealing. A few budgets ago a $50,000 annual taxi subsidy for retirees on fixed incomes and folks with disabilities was scrapped. Apparently, seniors pushing walkers or wheezing through oxygen bottles must make Emporia less appealing. Oh well. I guess it’s all for the best, isn’t it?
I can’t figure out this mill levy thing. The school district approved a 2.55 mill increase in their budget, blaming it on decreased valuations. I’ve lived here since ’99. Property valuations have increased by 48 percent over that time. Following their rationale, the mill levy should have decreased over the same period. Yet, the school district levy has increased by about 30 percent since ’99. Overall, my property taxes have increased by 88 percent.
If the formula weren’t so expensive, it would actually be funny.
A lot of Emporia ’s ham-and-eggers have tried to tell their leaders they’re tapped out, but it doesn’t seem to be working. You don’t suppose the communication cables have been disconnected, do you?
The city is $35 million in debt. USD 253 is carrying another $27 million. That’s about $2,500 for every man, woman, and child in Emporia, or about $10,000 for the average Emporia family. On top of that, our federal government has us in hock to the tune of $44,000 per citizen. Our poverty rate is close to 20 percent. And our leaders are wondering why folks aren’t “shopping Emporia first.” Could it be a sign of disconnect? You betcha.
What’s the next shoe to drop? A few more mills, perhaps? $650,000 worth of Astroturf at Soden’s Grove? By the end of the year the city is going to have to figure out what to do with the old Arts Council building. I wonder whether Mayor Jim Kessler, who has vowed to create revenue out of thin air, has a plan to set up the presses and print the money when the Arts Council vacates.
Peggy Noonan was right. There’s a massive primal scream building up in America. I fear that unless our leaders, at all levels, get connected, the sound of the explosion to come will make Krakatoa seem like a whisper.
genxer (anonymous) says...
Excellent article Phil! I couldn't agree with you more.
August 26, 2010 at 12:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lowereastside (anonymous) says...
AMEN, Good job Phil
August 26, 2010 at 2:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
christym123 (anonymous) says...
Awesome.
August 26, 2010 at 2:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
historian1982 (Nick Gronseth) says...
great article!
August 26, 2010 at 2:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
I totally agree Mr. Dillon.
And what struck me as peculiar about the 2011 City Budget is the fact that Personel Services ( employee wages, etc. ) expenditures are $689,423 more than 2010 and merit pay for 2011 is listed as $123,739 .
How many of you/us have had to work without any increase in pay, merit or otherwise, just to be sure we/you were able to have a job, in order to pay " taxes " , keep food on the table, clothe our selves and our families and try to keep a roof over our heads.
If the City would freeze wages at the 2010 wage level and freeze merit pay, until the economic climate improves they would save $815,162 in wages and merit pay alone and not have to reduce the Citys work force at all. And if they cut the funding of the RDA, CVB by 20% that would save thousands of dollars more and cut the subsidy to the golf course by 40%, that would save another $102,000 dollars. And by cutting or reducing the 4 things I have have mentioned here the City would save the taxpayers $1,000,000 or more. And if the County looked at or thought real hard along the same lines they could also save a load of taxpayer money and would not have to think about a 5 mil property tax increase.
And there are other item listed in the budget that, in my opinion, are needed at the present time, that would save even more money.
And I mentioned these cuts and 20% cut to the RDA, CVB and any organization that recieves City grants or funding.
But it did no good at all.
As I have vehemently said before, I was not in favor of spending the $1+ million dollars for the artificial turf at the High School nor am I in favor of artificial turf for Sodens Grove baseball field either.
The " wanting or desired " has gotten completely out of control and what is needed has completely fallen by the wayside, as has spending within the bounds of collected City and County revenue.
Mr. Dillon, you are exactly right, this City and County is on the verge of exploding and tearing itself apart, unless something is done to change things and done real soon.
August 26, 2010 at 2:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Heres a little something I just came across,
Are we in a depression?
One expert says we're there, and another says a 'contained depression' will last a decade. Meanwhile, look out for hyperinflation.
Posted by Money Staff on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 1:46 PM
The U.S. is in a 1930s-style depression, say Gluskin Sheff economist David Rosenberg and other bad-news bears of today's economic malaise.
Rosenberg notes that the Great Depression also had its high points, with positive reports and even some healthy stock market gains.
source, http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/...
Also this little tid bit,
Why investors are leaving the market
When higher oil prices spark a rally in every sector except oil stocks, the market is broken. It's no wonder investors are going elsewhere.
Posted by Jim Cramer on Thursday, August 26, 2010 8:27 AM
By Jim Cramer, TheStreet
Technology makes a run off of oil's rally but not the oil stocks. Health care rallies on oil but not oil stocks. Retail rallies on oil. But not the oil stocks. Food stocks leap on a turn in oil. But not the oil stocks. That's how things played out all Wednesday afternoon. Will it play out that way today?
Excuse me for sounding like Dr. Seuss, but what a joke this market has become. Food and retail, both incredibly sensitive to rising oil prices, rally on oil getting better because oil's upturn is a sign that the consumer is feeling better? What hogwash. Rising oil prices hurt the food companies because it is their biggest expense, more than the food commodities they package.
Retail? Rising oil prices are demonstrably bad for them. Tech? There is no correlation in real life whatsoever. However, we are not in real life. We are in some sort of bizarre world where the only correlations we can find are the wrong ones.
source, http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/...
August 26, 2010 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
And the City and County leaders are counting on an economic turnaround in the next few months !
I certainly hope so, but I would not count on it happening anytime soon.
Buckle up people there is rough weather ahead.
But government spending and taxes will undoubtedly continue, as usual.
August 26, 2010 at 3:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Well done, Phil. Every target hit.
August 26, 2010 at 4:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Phil speaks for me on this one too!! Thanks so much, Phil.
August 26, 2010 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
PHIL DILLON FOR COMMISSIONER?
August 27, 2010 at 6:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
As I recall, he has run before. I don't know what the exact results were. I do remember voting for him, and many people being supportive, but sometimes, people also get disenchanted when Phil gets long-winded and won't stop. This lost him some support. I'd like to see him run again, but this time, not so wordy, Phil.
August 27, 2010 at 7:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
christym123 (anonymous) says...
He's got my vote!
August 27, 2010 at 12:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
While I may disagree with Phil on the Taxi subsidy, (I don't think it was needed) most of the rest of his post was right on the money. People are apathetic as they don't think they can make a difference. they can and if he runs for commission again I just might vote for him.
August 28, 2010 at 6:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )